One Last Time
by Laina Inverse
Summary: The world's gone mad. Ganon is released from the control of evil, which, in theory, sounds great. In theory. Now he has to team up with two people he'd rather avoid, in order to save a land that would, in all honesty, prefer him to be nothing more than a nightmare. In saving the land however, he may also find the means of fully saving himself.
1. Prologue: Round Robin Tale

Prologue:

Round-robin storytelling.

-Ganon-

The voice was a whisper. It called me by name, and accused me of failure. If I'd had the energy, I would have laughed. It claimed to have granted me power... and then found me Power.

….Yes. The shade had granted me power. The shade summoned by the two old witches in the desert, to bring me strength and skill for the day when I was to be officially made king of my people. But it had not stopped there. It had locked me away, a prisoner in my own mind, barely able to interfere at all. And then it had used me, and my people, to do more evil than I alone ever could have.

It said something else. I remember... it saying it was leaving. I didn't believe it. Couldn't, really. It had used me over and over for centuries. Why would it abandon me now?

I cried out in pain as fire burned through me. Agony coursed through my veins in the same manner as it had arrived so many long years ago. I can't say how long it lasted... but when I opened my eyes, for the first time in centuries _I_ opened my eyes. Not the shade that had kept me trapped in a corner of my own mind for so long. _I_ did it.

(Get on with it Ganon, we get the point.)

Pendent.

(Piss me off and you won't get to tell your side of it.)

Fine, fine...

Before my eyes was a ball... no, not a ball, or an orb, something bigger. A globe, I suppose. Bigger than me, bigger than _anything._ Bodiless power, black and angry flames that seemed to spiral on forever in the white of the void.

It laughed at me then, the shade. Laughed as it whispered out into the light, and found a crack somehow. Into the Twili Realm, or the Hylian one, at the time I didn't know. All I knew was that I was, at long last, _free_.

It... I moved slowly. When I finally moved at all. There's nothing really _in_ the void between realms. Not like the Twili lands, or the inverse of Hyrule, whatever that place was called. The void is just... empty space. Whiteness. It took me time to realize I could move. Time to realize that the shade had made a mistake.

It had not taken the Triforce of Power from me. Granted it had taken a good deal of my... well, _its_ knowledge, rather, when it left. Spells it had cast through me, things I had once thought to learn for myself, those were gone. But the Triforce piece itself has... a longing, I suppose. To be reunited with it's other two parts.

And it made an excellent crutch in getting back to the world.

Not that it was a world I recognized. Not really. The desert had been... tamed at some point. That's the only reason I have for the prison in place of the temple. Oh, I vaguely recalled it from one of the shade's failed attempts at taking the palace, just as I recalled the pain of the 'failure' that had happened. The shade loved taking anger at failure on me, and in some ways it was right to blame me. It held me captive in my own mind, and it was hard to influence anything... but I managed, in small ways, to induce failure.

(You're rambling.)

Like you don't? You said yourself this is all that you're giving me. Let me have my damn say, woman.

(Oh, like you're not going to but in and make corrections when I have my say. Yeah right.)

Women.

(Boyo, I can still kick your ass from here to Snowpeak. D'you _really_ wanna push me?)

…...

(That's what I thought.)

You're still a bitch, Raiha.

(And you're still an asshole, Ganon. Are you done?)

No! Now stop interrupting me, dmanit!

(Hehehehehe.)

Bitch.

(Uh huh. Keep talking.)

+Come on you two, stop fighting...+

_Anyways_.

I ended up in the desert. But it wasn't my desert. Just like there weren't a lot of my people left. And none of them would have followed me willingly, so I didn't try to seek them out. Up until this woman found me, I had no intention of leaving the desert at all. I had the Triforce of Power in my hand. And there was _nothing_ in Hyrule I wanted.

…._Now_ it's your turn.

(Gee, thanks, leave _me_ with the asininely long backstory. I feel so appreciated.)

You're welcome.

(I will kick you, I swear to the goddesses.)

+Uhm. I still can't tell if that's you two flirting, or just being scary. But... Rai, c'mon. It is your turn.+

(Ugh. _Fine_.)

…...thanks. I think

+You just like pissing her off.+

Can I help it if it's funny?

(I will slug _both_ of you, I swear to the goddesses. It's entirely _not fair_ that you get along so well.)

Hehehehe.

+...sorry?+

(Pricks.)

-Raiha-

I'm going to condense this down, since long and tragic backstory is admittedly ridiculously long, and kind of not a point to the story. Everyone knows there's three pieces to the Triforce, and someone with their heart in _balance—_unlike this dumbass =Again with the insult, woman?=—can wield the True Force and make a wish. Jerkface over here, under command of the shade, fucked everyone over and broke it. If I had known more about the Triforce legends as a kid it never would have happened.

Unfortunately, I knew nothing. It happened. For a while, he won. And then we won.

=Yeah yeah, no need to rub it in. I _did_ help with the sabotage.=

Uh huh. Whatever sandrat.

=Like you're not a sandrat yourself.=

This is your revenge for me bitching at you when it was your turn, isn't it?

=Yup! So glad you noticed.=

I can ship your sorry ass off to the desert you know. The cannon's right over there...

=Try it, I dare you.=

+Come on you two...+

=...fine. I'll stop. For now.=

_Hmph._ Anyways, we won, we sealed him away, and for a while, that was that.

+Uh Rai? Missing a point. You _died_.+

I reeeeally don't want to get into that.

=He has a point though. You don't usually take the active roll in any of the legends, so they won't know why this is important for you.=

Aaagh. Fiiiiine.

So, because I screwed up so magnificently, after I died in attempting to help Link and Zelda seal Ganon, the three goddesses gave me the mandate to fix what I broke. To that end I was reborn, and once I hit the tail end of puberty, I stopped aging. This has benefits and massive pitfalls. Benefits being that when magic started fading because of the broken Triforce, I was able to do something about it. Like the Light Spirits. Also, y'know, not dying.

The pitfalls were... well, I didn't age. After a while, people notice this sort of thing. And being Gerudo, even with more Hylian heritage showing, meant that I was already not a liked person. Granted this faded as memories of Ganon did, but still. You get used to not being welcomed in places and you stop trying to make any sort of friendly overture after a while.

And I did screw up a lot in this long life of mine. I let myself be talked into making the Mirror of Twilight, and then had mages set on me. You can guess what happened there.

+Well, the Twili people never resented you?+

That we _know_ of... And Zant sure as shit had a lot of resentment in his ass.

=Not _just_ his ass=

….I'm pretty sure that's more information than any of us needed, thanks, Gan.

=You're welcome.=

Prick.

+And this would be why we haven't tried doing this before...+

Hey, for once, I get to lay the blame on you, kid. This was _your_ brilliant idea.

=She has a point. This is your fault.=

+Eheheheheh...+

….I lost the thread of thought.

+Twili+

Oh. Right.

After that, the Mirror was the only way to get in or out, but I hadn't worked out a way to bring people _back_. They installed the Mirror in the prison, and after the Sage-constructs were give the activation keys, I went away for a while. Long enough for this ass to break out and get sealed away again. I'm sorry I missed that.

=Because it was a stupid idea?=

_Intensely_. I may have gaps in my memory, but I know, _I know_ I told them that trying to do that to the Evil King was a bad idea! Stupid fucking idiots. And then _you_ broke one of the constructs! D'you _know_ how hard it was to get those things working right?

=The shade broke it, not me.=

Still your body. And don't tell me you didn't want to do it yourself.

=...maybe a little.=

+Guys. We're kind of getting off track here again.+

Right...

=And you say _I_ ramble.=

I will slug you. I may not have _wanted_ to make those things, but I also didn't want them _broken_.

+Easy Rai. It's still your turn. How'd you know he go loose?+

…...When you're as tied into the world as I am, you become sensitive to the various partings of... I guess you would call them dimensional walls. The Mirror, before Midna broke it, could do it deliberately, but it still carried with it a sound, a tone, that would let those who could hear it know that they were doing something admittedly a little dangerous. World boundaries aren't lightly crossed.

I wasn't in the desert at the time. I almost never visited the desert; the road was still impassible after the earthquake, and despite attempts to build up from Lake Hylia, it never worked too well. I was actually in Kakariko. The sound that woke me... think metal claws on slate. Under a bell, or in a dark cave. A literal dark cave where you can't see your hand in front of your face without a lantern. And then put that sound right inside your head. That was the shade coming through.

I fell out of a tree.

=Hah!=

I'm ignoring you now. This is me ignoring you. Jerk.

+You... fell out of a tree?+

Mmhm. I could have stayed at the inn, or in the shaman's house, I know, but I don't like enclosed spaces. Not as much as I hate heights, but I've come to love staying outside under the stars. Even if it means sleeping in a tree.

=S-so... hehehehe... what did you land on?=

…...

+Rai, c'mon...+

Ugh. I landed in the deep part of Eldin's pool. I was also wearing my Zora tunic, so at least it didn't hurt _too_ badly. Did wake me up too. Can I kick him yet?

+Ganon, I seriously think she'll kick you into the water, maybe you'd better stop...+

=I'm trying, I'm trying... pffffhahahaha!=

Prick.

+What then?+

Mnn... Well, there's ways down into Lake Hylia. Some routes are less pleasant than others. I got down and found the cannon old Feyer used to run. I paid his grandson the money to get out to the desert fast, since none of the old teleport songs work except one, and teleportation is still an elusive spell.

=...yeah, that one's hard.=

Kind of like your head.

+Rai...+

He left himself open for that one.

+You're both stubborn. How did I get stuck with you again?+

You ask as though you don't know the answer.

=Hehehe.=

The desert actually doesn't change as much as people think over time, not without outside intervention, anyways. Sand wears at stone to make more sand, and sometimes rains roll through to make oases, but for the most part, what's left in the desert is actually fairly preserved by it.

That's what helped me to reach and traverse Arbiter's Grounds.

=Where you found me.=

Yup.

=And almost killed me.=

Well hell, what did you _think_ I'd do? Give you a cup of tea and wish you on your merry way?

=...no. I actually did expect that... Just thought I'd have more time to prepare.=

Right. It's still my turn, let me have my turn, please.

=Well, since you said _please_.=

Asshat.

I didn't see him, not at first, though my senses were alert for anything. _Somehow_ he actually managed to slip though the veil pretty silently. Part of me is convinced that it's because of where he landed. The Mirror Chamber is already an area used to dimensional portals, and thin enough with the help that comes from being perched on top of a dead-filled prison.

=And your Mirror=

….and that. Suffice to say, it was one of the only places he _could_ slip back into the world without setting off that same disorienting, terrifying sound. So I honestly didn't expect him to be there. Plus, he didn't look anything like what I remembered from the time I'd encountered him.

=How _did_ I look?=

…...why am I feeding your ego again?

=No, seriously.=

Seriously? Hn. I doubt that. But all right. Since I doubt you'll be as flattering if you get the chance to describe me when it's your turn again.

=You never know...=

Uh huh.

Tall was the first impression. But then, Ganon has always been tall. Not over the top muscular, but not weak. Well-built I suppose. And young. Well, young-ish. A man in his prime, with a short red ponytail, and clean-shaven. Dressed, if you could call it that, in loose pants and a vest, with short, black boots. Pretty reasonable desert wear, actually. I would have ignored him entirely if he hadn't reacted the way he did.

It was the eyes that gave him away. Wide yellow eyes, shocked at the sight of me, _recognizing _me in... what was it, horror?

=Something like that. I figured I was a dead man, and I'd only just gotten out.=

Want your turn again?

=...please.=

Go for it.

-Ganon-

I hadn't been there long. Maybe an hour or two when she came bounding up the remnants of the stairs. I was... wary first, mostly because I hadn't even sensed someone coming. I was also still just trying to get used to the idea of not being trapped in the void, feeling sunshine on my face. Wind in my hair.

(You were horribly distracted. I noticed.)

Yes, that's how _she_ got the drop on me. Which, I am well aware, I'm never living down.

(Given the number of times you successfully got the drop on me? Nope.)

She was armed to the teeth too. A sword on her hip, a bow on her back, armor under her tunic... But yes, when I saw her face and recognized her, I froze. I hadn't expected, or hoped, to see anyone in the desert. Definitely not the one person I _never_ wanted to meet without at least three walls between us.

(hehehe. Nice to know~)

I have height on you.

(I have speed. And magic.)

Hmph.

I choked, I think, when I recognized her.

(You did.)

That got her attention, and I will freely admit, ti was the last thing I wanted. She didn't recognize me at first, I had seen that in the negligible glance she'd given me, but when I reacted like that, well, she took the chance to take another look. And I'm willing to say freely that I have never seen _anyone_ get so angry, so quickly. Not... not even Nabooru.

At the time, Raiha wore her hair long. I vaguely remember that being part of one of your disguises?

(Yup. Short hair as a kid. I grew it out while running away from your first attempt at taking Hyrule. It actually worked pretty well... But then, I think the only reason the shade chased me and caused misfortune in my wake was to fuck with me.)

Pretty much. It... I wouldn't say it knew that you were capable of the thing it wasn't, but it knew you had the means to be a highly credible threat. So it tried to get at you as indirectly as possible, since it was still using me to consolidate power.

(Huh. Interesting.)

Yeah.

(So, how unflattering is my description bound to be?)

Well if you'd let me _talk_...

(hehehe.)

Brat.

I'll be honest, among the horror was also a bit of avarice. A pain in the ass, yes, but not... not ugly. Raiha's an odd one, showing more of her Hylian heritage than most Gerudo. Pointed ears, paler brown skin, a bit more gold in the hair than red... More slender than the usual Gerudo figure too. But definitely not weak.

So I froze, and she turned. For a moment she didn't have a _clue_, and if I'd been thinking instead of fighting with myself, I could probably have gotten a head start on running.

(Only if your intend was to jump off. There's really nowhere to run _to_ up there.)

When she figured out who I was, she jumped me. Literally. Sword out, fury in her eyes and on her face, she lunged at me, and I was too shocked to really fight back. I was lucky I wasn't killed right then and there.

Why _didn't_ you kill me?

-Raiha-

Apart from you acting like you'd seen a ghost? You still had the Triforce of Power in you, and do you know how _hard_ it is to find all three pieces in the same era? I mean, _maybe_ I could store them in the Temple of Time, but because you were still The Enemy at the time, we _needed_ the other two pieces in circulation.

Besides, your shade would never have given up his piece willingly. And I had one _hell_ of a time just trying to wrest it away from you when you died at the end of the Twilight incident!

=Which you failed to do=

My point, you just made it.

+Guys, seriously, the scribe is dying of laughter over here, you're _not helping_.+

Again, Link, this was _your idea_. I was the one who said it would be a farce.

=She is right.=

+I don't know what's worse, you two bickering or you two agreeing with each other... But the story has to get told _somehow_.+

Maybe, but I don't see why we have to be the ones to tell it. Let it fade. Everything's done and over with now, and if there's no stories, it could get nice and peaceful for a while. I'd like that.

=So would the kid.=

+...kid, what kid?+

Big mouthed idiot. I'll tell you later. First we seriously need to figure out what to do.

+What _kid?_+

=The one she's carrying twit. Or two. She hasn't been specific.=

Oh for _fuck's sake_ Ganon, shut up already. I told you I don't even know if it's for certain yet, and given the _stress_ I'm under, it doesn't fucking matter either way, now shut _up!_

=...yes'm.=

+Scaaaary...+

Hmph.

Look, if we _have_ to tell the damn story, let's just do it one at a time. Because this way, we keep pitching into each other's tales, and don't tell me we wouldn't keep trying.

=It's just so fun to interrupt you, and _ow_, damnit woman!=

Didn't I just say to shut up?

+...okay. Uhm...+

Ganon goes first, I'll go second, and Link can go third. That way the story gets told in the proper sort of order. Yes?

+...okay.+

=Fine, fine... that's going to leave a mark you know=

Boo hoo. Have fun talking to the scribe. I think I'll go swimming.

+H-hey, wait for me!+

=Figures. All right... let's try this again...=


	2. One

One

"You've failed me Ganon."

The voice was a whisper of malice and death, fire and darkness, and anger. It scraped over his bones like the desert sands, and if he'd had the energy, he might well have laughed. Failed... if only it was that simple.

"You asked for power, and I granted it," the voice continued, using words to lash out like whips. "I sought out the power you would need, and gave you that as well. Such a lovely Power..."

He cried out in pain, with only a small part of his mind free to keep thinking. There was no denying that what the shade said was true; it had given him power, and had led him to the Triforce of Power... but it had taken everything else away from him. Nabooru, the desert sands, even his thievery was no longer his own. There was nothing gifted. Only taken.

"I need a new host," it hissed. "One who will be far more useful than _you_."

The words wrapped around him tightly, rasping away at him, and squeezing at the very marrow of his self. Fire and flame poured through him, molten and agonizing, and he yelled until his already hoarse voice broke with the agony.

There was a roaring sound near enough to his face that he flinched back involuntarily, wanting to get away. It took him several minutes to realize that he had moved for himself, for the first time in centuries.

"You can remain here in the void," the voice whispered cruelly. "I doubt you'll last long without me."

He flinched back again as the boundless power before him, fattened by years of chaos and misery, mockingly moved in his direction. It took no distinct shape, being more a mass of dark flame than anything else, and even that little bit closer was too close.

The laughter was sand on skin, sand in the ears, a rasping sound, a terrifying hiss. And then, as he waited with closed eyes for the shade to envelop him again, to go back on its choice, something changed. The feeling of heat and fire faded, and he squinted cautiously to see.

It was leaving. For the first time, it actually seemed to be really leaving as opposed to mocking him, abandoning him and then returning as it so often had in the past. Still he remained tense and wary; it had tried this trick before, moving through other people for a brief time, then returning to him and removing him from the void. He was the shade's favorite toy, after all...

He drifted in the void for what seemed like forever, before he realized that the shade really had left him this time. There was no little whispering voice at the back of his head holding him still, no lingering feeling of flame and desert sands. He could move, and think, for himself.

He moved slowly, cautiously, aware that at any moment the creature could come back. He had never been taught how to keep such things out of his mind before; it had never been a problem until Koume and Kotake had tried to give him the power he wanted to make his people great. They had all failed then, hadn't they?

Slowly, Ganon returned to full awareness of himself and his surroundings. The void was boring, nothing but an empty space; nothing like the Twili realm, or the lower realms that were the inverse to Hyrule. He had been to so many alternates, it was hard to figure out which reality was his any longer. Or if he even _had_ a reality to return to.

He wasn't even sure he could get out of the void without the shade's help. Was he doomed to drift forever in this white space? He had thought he was mad enough already, but it wouldn't be hard for things to get worse.

He brought a hand up to press gingerly at his face; he did not want to die in this place without feeling the wind of the desert at least once more. _His_ desert, his sand...

A pulse on the back of his right hand made him startle, and he brought that hand into view, staring as the Triforce of Power flickered again on his brown skin, responding to his desire. A renewed strength flooded into him, and though it did nothing to heal the damages the shade had done, and in fact only caused more pain, he welcomed it with shock, and a small amount of glee.

Maybe he couldn't do it as elegantly as the shade, but with the Triforce of Power still at his command, he could break his way out. He wondered why it hadn't taken the triforce piece from him briefly, then shoved the question from his mind. Now wasn't the time to wonder such things. Now was the time to escape, and find his way back to familiar sands.

* * *

She felt it the minute something crossed the planer barrier, with a shock and a scream of sound that attacked her on all levels. It woke her from her sound sleep, and sent her plummeting into the deep part of the pool of Eldin, at the farthest edge of Kakariko village.

Raiha shot up to the surface, spluttering and shaking with reaction, and was aided out of the water by the invisible spirit's wing. She was not the only one to hear the sound; over half of Kakariko had tumbled out of their beds and their homes to see just what might have made that noise. Many turned in the direction of Death Mountain, wondering if the sound had originated there. Raiha turned her attention towards the road out of the village, still shaking with the reaction.

_Eldin, what do you feel?_ She asked silently.

_Darkness, my mother,_ the spirit said in the same manner, invisible wings coming to rest around the damp woman. _Darkness and death._

_Power?_

_….. no. Wisdom._

"...fuck me..."

Raiha gently brushed past the wings of her invisible spirit, and started through the village. The shaman, Renado's twice granddaughter, ran up to the other woman and grabbed lightly at her arm.

"What is going on," Gerti asked, a worried frown on her face. "That sound, it was not..."

"I don't know," Raiha said quietly. "But I can say it speaks of nothing good. Caution the people to take care if they leave the village, even if visiting the Gorons. And get a message to the Goron Elders, tell them the same."

"Lady, are you...?"

"I have to," she said bleakly. "If there's trouble of a kind... I have to Gerti. You know enough to protect the village if it comes to it, and the Gorons will help, or by Din, I'll know why."

Raiah's expression had turned grim, amber eyes narrowing and going dangerously cold. Gerti released her damp arm, nodding slowly.

"I will start by calming the people," she said, tucking her black hair out of her face. "Be ever careful, Lady."

Raiha snorted a little, and gave the shaman a crooked smile.

"I'm not dead yet. I think I'll be fine."

Gerti just shook her head and started into the village, to calm the people that were milling about. Raiha sighed a little, and looked up at the sky; while she could see no storm clouds now, that didn't mean there wouldn't be some in the future. In the very _near_ future at that.

"I have to get a jump on this for once," she muttered, tapping the barest hint of her fire spell and using it to dry herself thoroughly. "Damnit, I _knew_ I shouldn't have let Link go off to Castle Town and train for guard. I swear, why do I never _learn_ from shit like this?"

She palmed the ancient Ocarina of Time, a relic of long lost days, then sighed a little, and played a familiar tune to summon up a horse. Things would go quicker if she rode, and the old teleportation markers were all gone save the one.

The horse that trotted up was golden, mostly. Patches of dusty gray-brown told Raiha that once again, Singer had been rolling in the mud.

"Vain thing," she muttered, pulling herself up onto the mare's bare back. "Sorry sweets, no time to love on you now. Let's go."

She tapped the horse lightly with her heels, and Singer obligingly moved into a swift walk. That was the fastest they would go in the village, at least, especially with the people still frightened and confused.

When they were on the plain, Raiha gave her smart horse a signal, and she delved into a ground eating canter, a steady lope that would get them to the Castle Market by dawn. Because when trouble started, it usually started there.

Another sound, a familiar, chiming tone, made Raiha sit up abruptly, leaning back and slowing Singer from a canter into a trot, walk, then a standstill. She turned towards the desert, every hair on the back of her neck standing up.

That had felt... but no, that wasn't possible. Midna had destroyed the Mirror of Twilight. Without even being asked, she had severed the connection between the two worlds, and Raiha had been there to witness it, and thank her.

But if not the mirror... what then?

Raiha bit her lip, looking from Castle Town to the Gerudo Desert and back. One led to familiar faces, to friends well known and well-loved. She wasn't sure _what_ the desert would bring to her except more trouble. It had never been kind before, after all.

Link was, and always had been, the Hero. This was, admittedly, more his thing. He had a charisma she lacked, and his courage had been an invaluable asset at times. But she knew every inch of these lands, and had for the past hundred years, while waiting for the day when Ganondorf would try again to take over.

"Damnit... I wish the Sheikah were still alive... this would be so much easier if I could send one of them off to look for me," she grumbled. "Stupid mirror... stupid me..."

Raiha sighed, and turned Singer towards Lake Hylia. Link, ultimately, could take care of himself. Even Zelda was not useless in a pinch, though she was certainly not as able a fighter. And though Eldin's words trouble her, she had to trust that Zelda would be able to fight off whatever was after her.

Because if she couldn't...

She shook her head sharply, and took the narrow path that led down into Lake Hylia, being careful to not look over the edge. It had taken several years to make this path, and it still wasn't as safe as she wanted it to be. But it could, at least, accommodate a horse and rider as long as the rider was careful.

The path wound down to a small patch of grazing land, where Raiha left Singer to drowse and eat the grass until she returned. It was always a good idea to take care of one's animals, because one never knew then they might need them again. Besides, the path to the desert wasn't half as wide as the one down to the lake, and she had one hell of a time keeping it even that open; between the harsh desert winds and the lake itself, half the time it was just a mess. The other half was completely impassible.

Once again Raiha considered the idea of finding and tapping an ancient underground water line and making a spirit for the desert, just to make things easier, then put the thought aside. She should have done it years ago, and now, with danger looming, there was no time for it. And given that the desert was so troubled and corrupt...

Dawn arrived as she moved into the narrow canyon that led to the desert. The air seemed preternaturally still, almost flat and dead. Cautious and wary, she made her way through the canyon into the desert itself, then stopped and stared.

The air was clear up to a point. And that point was Arbiter's Grounds. The sand and air around the prison that had once been the Gerudo's Spirit Temple were moving so fast it would likely be akin to walking into a sandstorm.

Raiha grimaced, and ran across the desert, ignoring the heat of the sun that beat down upon her. When she reached the edge of the sand wall, she stopped, and pulled out a long hood that would fit snugly over her head. She had made it based on the cover Ashei had made to view Snowpeak during the Twilight Incident, and built in goggles to shield her eyes from the flying sands, as well as a cover for her nose and mouth that wouldn't be budged until she wanted them to. She half-drained a water flask, and adjusted the fit of her weaponry before heading into the sandstorm.

The wind screamed around her, pulling at her clothes as the sand tried to scour everything away. She gritted her teeth, glad that she was as kitted out as always, and did her best to stay oriented in the right direction. Whatever was going on here, this suggested either something was being kept in, or kept out. And since she was probably the only person crazy enough to try and get in, it was likely something, or someone, was being trapped inside.

Arbiter's Grounds were mercifully clear the the sand, and Raiha staggered into the clear air with a pained series of swears, dropping to her knees on the stone steps. Sand fell from every part of her, cascading down her arms and back as she regained her wits and staggered back to her feet.

"By Din, that was unpleasant," she muttered, pulling off the hood and shaking out the sand. "I now have sand in places that sand was never meant to go... It's going to take forever to get this out of everything..."

She looked over her shoulder at the whirling sand, which had not abated in the slightest, then sat on the steps and pulled off her boots to get the sand out of them, frowning. Coming in hadn't altered anything as she'd half-hoped. The winds would still chew up anyone who wasn't properly clothed, and getting back out was bound to be harder as there wasn't a noticeable marker on the other side.

Absently she chewed on her thumb, then spat out the taste of the sand.

"...I've _really_ got to instil at least a spring around here," she muttered, using a little bit of water from her flask to wash her hands and face. "Just not right now."

There were a lot of things she needed to do, really. Even with the Light Spirits, magic was fading more and more from the world each decade. Soon enough, people would forget magic entirely, and then where would she herself be?

Raiha pushed the grim thoughts away and finished her rough clean up, staring moodily at the sand; in a way she really hoped this was another one of Ganondorf's tricks; maybe this time she could succeed. Maybe this time, she could win.

Arbiter's Grounds, for all it tended to be filled to the brim with death, sands, and spirits, was not an actual trial for her. She knew every nook and cranny of the former prison, and had, in fact, sealed most of the former occupants within. Granted that was two centuries gone now, but as she passed through the main room, and into the room that would lead to the stairs up to the Mirror Chamber, she still winced in recollection of how _bad_ that idea had been.

"Things that seem like a good idea at the time," she muttered, shaking her head a little. "I swear, I never learn..."

The good thing about it was that with the spirit already defeated, there was nothing to fight with, and she was able to cross back out into the midday sunlight and get confronted with the whirling sands outside the prison once more.

She turned away from them deliberately, making her way up the broken staircase with a few muttered curses as more worn-away stone crumbled under her feet. It was better to deal with the stone than it was to think about the memories that tried to assail her. Walking up the steps the first time, heart heavy with grief and anger, to install the mirror. Pelting up the steps after some lack-wit had decided that throwing Ganondorf into the Twili realm was a _smart_ idea. Picking her way through broken stone and piles of sand with Link and Midna not once, but twice; a mirror broken and then a mirror repaired. Walking up the stairs with Midna restored to her true form, heavy-hearted, knowing that one of them was going to have to break the connection between worlds.

Raiha stopped just short of the top, and bowed her head. She had to get a grip; if there was someone or something up here, she could not be lost in the clouds of foggy failure and misery that assailed her. She forced her mind to the present, thrusting the past back and away, then straightened her shoulders and moved up the final steps.

At first, nothing presented itself. The sage constructs, creatures she had made, had been in standby for almost a century, conserving power for the next Hero that might need them. Though she had finally gotten around to recreating the water sage, she had no intention of waking them up. They weren't likely to know anyways, and she didn't need the memories attached to them either.

She moved around with care, seeking... she didn't know what, really. She registered movement, and ignored it, up until whatever was moving made a choked sound, which snapped up her attention.

She turned and looked into eyes a shade or two darker than her own. A young-looking man stood there, broad shoulder and athletic, dark of skin, and red of hair. He was shirtless, wearing loose pants and snug boots, a pair of leather bracers on his wrists. No arms or armor that she could see.

Anger bubbled up inside of her; she had not seen Ganondorf when he was younger, but the look on his face said everything. He _recognized_ her. And now that she was looking for it, the Triforce of Power practically sang in her mind. His change of appearance was nothing new; he always looked a little different every time he was reincarnated.

Slowly, she slipped her sword from its sheathe. He immediately started backing up.

"Wait a second Raiha," he said hastily. "Just..."

"Just _what_?" She hissed, sword trembling fractionally in her hand as she fought to control her anger. "Just let you _go_?"

"Let me explain!"

He yelped as she lunged at him, and dodged out of the way with more luck than skill. His body had not been his own for so long that he no longer commanded it as effectively. It helped that she was _really_ upset. Not that he could blame her. All those centuries ago, when she had been born of his people, after the shade had him in thrall, he'd ordered her abandoned in the market. There was no room in his tribe for a Gerudo that actually _looked_ like her Hylian parent, no matter how good her skills might've been.

And as he and the shade had discovered, they were _very_ good. Time had only improved her, and he scrambled away again, trying to put the mirror slab between himself and the furious woman. Not only was she just as fast as ever, but she, unlike most everyone else, never seemed to change. Always angry at him, always wanting the Triforce of Power for whatever reasons. Well, it was _his_ piece, damnit, and he wasn't going to give it up without a fight!

Thinking fast, he grabbed a handful of sand and flung it at her face, forcing her to cover her eyes with her free arm. He lunged forward then, taking advantage of his superior size, only to have her go flat onto her back and launch him in the direction of the stairs. It stunned him, knocking the wind out of him briefly, and gave her the time to get close enough to put her blade to his throat.

"You really think there's _anything_ you can say to me that I'll believe?" she said icily.

"...I can try?"

He saw a muscle jump in her jaw, and held his hands up slowly.

"Just... let me explain. Please."

The please clearly surprised her, and the sword in her hand dipped fractionally. She was no less wary or suspicious, but since when had Ganondorf ever said _please_? Slowly, to his obvious relief, she lowered the blade, though she didn't put it back in its sheathe.

"Talk then. _Quickly_."

He winced a little at the tone of her voice. The last of the Gerudo, and he had to run into the one woman who would have preferred to have his balls as a trophy on her wall as opposed to in her bed. It just figured. Not that she was ugly, far from it; her Hylian heritage had lightened her skin, and gilded her hair with gold. She wore her hair long, but wisely braided and pinned in a coronet around her head. She was far more slender than the vibrantly busty Gerudo had been, and he wondered idly if some of that was because of the armor she was wearing under her tunic.

She glared at him, and lightly jabbed at one of his feet with her sword.

"My tits are not my eyes, asshole. Now either start talking, or I'm going to start lopping."

"Hah! That's not your style," he snorted.

Her eyes narrowed, and he was willing to swear fire was growing in her palm. Hastily he decided that talking would probably hurt less than what she was considering.

"When I was twenty-five, the day before I was officially crowned as the Gerudo king, I asked Koume and Kotake if there was a way to make me more powerful. I wanted more for the Gerudo than to just be a race of thieves and bandits, living out on the edges of Hyrule, kidnapping men to have children and having to eke out whatever sort of life we could."

Raiha looked unimpressed, and he winced a little, remembering that she'd been left to the mercies of Castle Town and the people there, who had never had that high of an opinion on Gerudo. He wondered how she had survived it so well, then pulled his mind back to the moment; she really looked like she was considering killing him out of hand.

"They said they'd try to summon up some power for me, and they did. They summoned up a shade, stronger than an ordinary poe, and it promised me that if I joined with it, I could bring my people to glory and make us a people worthy of respect."

Her mouth twitched, and he sighed.

"I know. I should have known then that it was too good to be true. It completely took me over. I swear to you, I was relegated to a tiny corner of my mind, and that... that _thing_," he spat, "was in control of practically everything. It was hard enough just trying to push hard enough that it would miss key events. Key moments."

Her eyes narrowed, and some of the hostility faded from her expression. He hoped he was getting through to her.

"It just abandoned me in the void. For the first time. Completely," he rushed on. "I don't know how it didn't take the Triforce piece, but I can't feel it in my head, and I can't feel anything about it around me."

She went still.

"What did it say to you?" she demanded, the fierce anger back in her eyes as she lunged forward to grip his shoulders. He winced; her grip was harder than it should have been in a woman her size. "_What did it say?!_"

"Agh, hey, ease up!" he griped, very carefully disengaging her hands. "It... hell, I don't know. Something about seeking a new... host..."

The were both silent for several minutes. Ganon watched with interest as Raiha's face drained of color, and then it clicked for him too. If the shade didn't have him, it was going to go after one of the other two Triforce holders. Courage was good when it came to doing stupidly brave things like traversing the Occa city, but not useful when it came to domination. That left...

"Fuck," he said, very very softly. "It came here, looking for a new host..."

"I am going to kill you, slowly, painfully, and make sure you suffer every minute of it," she said simply, turning to stare up at one of the pillars. "_After_ I relieve you of your piece."

"Wait, what?"

"Stay. Right there."

He stared at her in shock; she believed him? Granted she hadn't become _less_ hostile, but the idea that she was willing to believe him...

She gave him a piercing look and he nodded quickly; he wasn't going to move. At least, not while she was close enough to land him on his ass again. Besides, where was he going to go? Into the prison that had replaced the Spirit Temple? Not hardly; she knew the place better than he did. And the sandstorm beyond looked like it wanted to chew anything and everything to bits.

When he remained seated, Raiha turned and scrambled up the wall. Perching on top of it, she cursed the fact that the desert was so hard to reach; a good portion of the building just wasn't useable in a useful manner, and it would have been a lot easier if the place had been in decent repair.

With an irritated sigh, she pulled a grappling hook and long rope out of her bag; she couldn't see the palace from down here, hell, she could barely see the _sky_, and she needed to see the palace before things turned... well, before they changed to a point where she couldn't work around what was happening.

She whipped it around her head until it became a silver blur, and launched it high over her head. The hook sailed upwards, over the top of an arch, and caught in a particularly large crack. She yanked the rope a couple of times, making sure it was secure, then used it to swing across and began climbing upwards. Sweat stood out on her brow by the time she reached the top; she _hated_ heights. She moved far more carefully up on top of the crumbling wall, taking her time to get over to the pillar that held up the image of a sage's medallion. Scrambling up until she reached the top curve, she finally cast her gaze east, over the blocky mountains that usually obscured her view of Hyrule.

The sky was clear, for the moment, but as she started to slip on the hawkeye lenses, a quake rattled Arbiter's Grounds, forcing her to grab onto the pillar more tightly in an effort to keep her balance. The lenses fell out of her grasp, down to the ground below, and Raiha let out a fit of swears as she reflexively followed them with her gaze and saw that the ground was _way_ too far away for her comfort.

She closed her eyes tightly, and pressed her forehead to the hot stone, shaking. Another, harder shake rocked the prison, and she opened her eyes in time to see something that looked like dust rising from the direction of Hyrule. This did nothing to raise her confidence, but it did help suppress her fear of heights long enough to get back to the ground as fast as possible without actually killing herself.

Ganon had gotten to his feet, but hadn't actually left the area. It was strange to watch this woman who had hated him for so long be afraid, and there was a small part of him that felt entirely too smug about the idea. Let _her_ feel a crippling fear for once, she how well _she_ handled it.

But clearly handle it she did. She hadn't fallen from the top, she hadn't frozen... If anything, she handled fear the way she handled everything else; as something she hated, but couldn't precisely help, and something to be worked around.

Frankly, he felt a bit envious, even as the next shake nearly knocked him onto his ass again.

"What the hell is happening?" he demanded, glaring at her.

"I don't know," she shot back, "but nothing good would be the guess. We're leaving. Hold this."

She shoved a pack into his hands and he took it reflexively, startling a little as she promptly yanked the top open and starting rummaging through it. She came out with a bright green crystal that made him squint to see it before pinning the bag closed again.

"Sit!"

"Woof," he grumbled, sitting quickly as she glared. The next shake helped that, and overhead, stone began to crack. "I hope you know what you're doing, woman..."

"Shut up," she snapped, "or I'll seriously consider leaving your ass behind to get flattened by the falling rubble."

From another pocket she produced a blue crystal, identical in shape to the green one, and activated it moments before stone rained down around them. Ganon swore softly at the power swirling around them both, a transparent blue shield called into being by Raiha's will. He hadn't seen this spell before, and it made him wonder what else she was capable of... and why the shade had ignored her as a threat for so long.

No, ignored her was the wrong word. It hadn't done that. But it hadn't actively tried to kill her either. Not after the first encounter. He wondered if the shade had truly understood the danger of the woman standing before him. Then he took a moment to wonder if he himself actually knew.

Raiha half closed her eyes, and muttered a few words in ancient Hylian that he couldn't make out over the sound of falling, grating stone. Abruptly the shield vanished, and he started swearing as he looked up and saw a big chunk heading right for them. Green light and a rush of wind yanked his attention back downward, and he closed his eyes reflexively as the light grew to blinding.

And then abruptly winked out; he was dropped a few inches onto grass and sand and peered around cautiously. There was a golden horse nearby who only snorted a little at their abrupt appearance before it went back to cropping grass, and Raiha still stood, her back to him now.

He considered taking advantage of the moment; she wasn't looking at him, and there _was_ a horse he could ride. He could take the horse and be gone faster than she could react... couldn't he?

He struggled with the idea, then startled as a quake also shook Lake Hylia, the water receding briefly before rushing further onto the shore.

Raiha seemed inclined to ignore the shakes, and when he looked in the same direction she was, he saw that she was staring at the entrance to the desert. The mountains cracked under the next quake, sending stone tumbling towards the lake, and into the narrow pass that had led to the familiar hot sands and scorching sun.

He squinted a little; had the sandstorm tried to _follow_ them?

Raiha lifted her hands, a golden light flaring out as she raised her voice in a singsong chant that he vaguely recognized as being a barrier spell of some sort. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw an answering flare of light from a nearby cave, and abruptly there was a barrier between the desert and the lake. It flared in golden and blue, and he felt bitterness strike him.

"Blocking the desert out from your precious lake," he sneered a little.

"Yes," she said flatly, turning to regard him. Her face was pale, almost ashy, and her hands were trembling; that had plainly taken a lot of energy out of her. It almost made him pity her. Almost. "Because what's in that desert now is dark, evil, and tainted, _no thanks to you_, I might add!"

That might have started off a new wave of anger and resentment, had not a thundering crash echoed from far overhead. Both of them turned, but all that could bee seen was a massive dust cloud, indicating that something _huge_ had just collapsed.

Raiha, already pale, sat abruptly.

"...the only thing large enough to make that sort of mess and sound would be the Market," she whispered.

Ganon was relatively glad he was already sitting, and put the pack he'd been given shakily to one side. He was also glad she wasn't looking at him; he had his pride, after all.

"You think...?"

"If your shade has Zelda, we are in so. Much. Trouble." Raiha said quietly as the earth beneath them continued to shake in lessening values. "Power is predictable. Wisdom... wisdom is terrifying."

"How can... how can it _hold_ her though?" he asked, confused. "She should... hells she should have as much magic, if not _more_, than you!"

"In case you didn't notice, dimbrain, _magic is dying_ in Hyrule. Because the Triforce is broken, magic is broken too, and leeching out of this world," she said, temper lacing her voice, even as exhaustion leaked the worst of the threat from it. "I'm lucky to have saved _this_ much. Now shut up a minute and let me check something."

Raiha closed her eyes, and sank her senses into the earth, seeking her four spirits. As hoped, the power sunk into the creatures of light had ablated the darkness contained in the earthquakes away from them. Unfortunately, they only had enough strength to protect their specific area, and she could feel pockets of shadow moving around into older forms. The worst of it was across from her in the desert, something she would have to face at some point whether she liked it or not, but there were lesser sparks as well, leaching into the land.

The main sufferers would undoubtedly be the people not generally protected in the Town; the Zora, the Gorons, and the peaceful yeti of Snowpeak. The hylians and humans would suffer too, of course, but they rarely held the same troubles. Gorons, theoretically, could be trusted to hold their own, but the Zora would be particularly vulnerable if their water was harmed.

Again.

She bit her lip, seeking out two more familiar touches. Link and the Triforce of courage seemed to be in the area of the Market, all the more reason to get up and go looking. Zelda...

Raiha yelped in pain and flung up her hands reflexively as black sparks smacked her full on in the face, flinging her backwards. Ganon would have found it funny if the situation hadn't become suddenly so dire. He scrambled to his feet and moved quickly over to her, gingerly assessing her state. She looked to be out cold, but otherwise seemed to unharmed. He supposed that was a good thing, since she seemed bound and determined to do something about what was going on.

Briefly, dull resentment burned in him, and he considered giving her a hard kick; a resurgence of common sense, mixed with a bit of avarice stopped him. No doubt she would extract revenge if he gave into the urge, and he _did_ sort of need her to figure out what was going on.

He grunted a little in annoyed disappointment and sat back down, reaching out to poke her occasionally to see if she was awake. As he waited, the quakes finally died away, and overhead clouds began to gather. A wet wind began to blow, and it didn't take much longer for the rain to begin. The horse snorted and moved off, seeking shelter, and when Raiha showed no signs of waking, Ganon grumbled and hefted her over one shoulder, snatching the pack back up as he did the same.


	3. Two

Two

Raiha woke slowly, hissing a little in pain. That shade had not been kind when responding to her cautious probing, and her neck hurt from the whiplash. It was a small ache compared to the throbbing of her head, though.

"About time," Ganon grumbled a little, using the complaint to hide a vague sense of relief. "I though you were going to sleep for a week."

She responded with a rude gesture that made him grin a little. Hells, she couldn't see him, and it was good to know that whatever had happened, she was still inclined to be snippy at him. He wouldn't have known how to react any other way.

"How long was I out?" she groaned, sitting up carefully.

"Day and a half," he shrugged a little. "Maybe a bit more. It's been pouring rain for most of it."

Raiha nodded a little; she could hear it coming down outside. Not quite a waterfall of white noise, but definitely no little drizzle either.

"Thunder and lightning?"

"Cut out about an hour ago," he nodded. "Tell tale signs of trouble."

"No kidding..."

He watched as she carefully got to her feet, rubbing her head. She still looked pale and shaky, but he remembered all too well the stubborn pluck she had, and the fierce desire to keep going. He'd seen it often enough in the many incarnations of 'life' he'd had.

"I'm not saving you if you fall in," he said as she approached the glimmering pool of the Light Spirit.

"Please," she scoffed. "As if my children would let me drown."

She didn't fall either; she jumped. Ganon swore an oath and scrambled forward; had she _really_ just done that?

Raiha smirked at him from the water, easily buoyed up by the invisible coils of Lanayru.

"See~?"

He scowled at her, annoyed to have revealed that he actually sort of cared about her well being. At the same time, it was fascinating to see; she had looked rather terrible prior to jumping into that water. Now though, she looked more like herself. Ganon moved quickly back as something lifted her out of the water, and deposited her gently back onto the dry land, and had to hastily avert his gaze as she started stripping out of her soaked clothes.

"S'a matter," she teased, "embarrassed?"

"Y-_No!_" he shot back, flushing a little. "I just don't feel like getting clobbered for staring!"

She blinked at him, standing with his back to her, then grinned.

"So you _do_ have a working brain in there! I was wondering."

He grumbled under his breath and glared at the ground; aggravating woman.

Raiha just snickered at his expense, and dug into her pack, pulling out not only dry clothes, but armor as well. She had never liked plate—it was too noisy and cumbersome—but chain-mail and leather were comfortable enough, and fairly easy to keep in repair at that. She pulled on the undertunic, the chainmail, and then her blue Zora's tunic over the top, just in case. Better to be prepared in this sort of situation.

"All right tough guy, it's safe to look."

He waited an extra five minutes, just to be safe, before turning around. Then blinked repeatedly.

Raiha had taken her hair down, unbraiding it to brush out the worst of the water and redo it. And he couldn't help but be a little in awe. He was used to the fiery red of Gerudo hair, not the gilded reddish-gold that she had. It made her look deceptively feminine. Not amazingly beautiful, but definitely more feminine than he was used to.

Raiha just rolled her eyes as she wrung out her hair.

"Put your eyes back in your head, twit," she said dryly. "I'm not keeping it like this."

"You're not what? Why?"

She snorted at his clear confusion, and shook her head.

"I mean I'm not leaving it loose," she clarified. "And you can use your own brain for the why of that."

Yes, she had considered cutting it, but it had taken her a long time to grow, and she was rather proud of it. It was, perhaps, her biggest vanity, for all that it had taken her years to learn to like herself. Ganon kept his relieved sigh to himself; cutting hair that pretty would have been such a waste.

Raiha made quick work of rebraiding and pinning up her hair into the coronet style she favored, then buckled on her quiver and bow.

"...I think I'm jealous," Ganon said a little dourly. "You're better armed than I am."

"If I had armor for you, I'd let you have it, but it'll take me a while to make any, so we may just have to scrounge you up some. As for weapons, you're going to have to make do," she said shortly as she dug into her pack. "Fortunately for you, I _do_ have two sets of boiled and oiled cloaks that will repel the rain."

She came up with one and tossed it at him before pulling on her own. He caught it reflexively and blinked at it, then at her. Again Raiha shook her head, setting the pack aside as she picked up her sword and dagger belt and hocked it on as well.

"I believe you, but I sure as hell don't trust you," she said shortly. "I can track you down if I have to, but I'd rather just drag you along to make things easier. Besides, you haven't run off yet either, so I'm guessing you're trying to figure out some way of getting revenge on the shade for what happened to the Gerudo. Yeah?"

Slowly he nodded; that _had_ been plaguing his mind while she'd been unconscious. They hadn't exactly been a _grand_ people before, but now they weren't a people at all. And maybe some of that was on her shoulders with the creation of the Mirror, but most of it was on the shade for starting that descent in the first place.

It was aggravating to hear her admit she could track him though. He had been a thief! And not a terrible one either! How the hell would _she_ track _him_ if he decided to leave?!

Raiha watched the subtle play of emotions over his face and had to snicker. He might've had _some_ practice at hiding what he felt, but she had over five centuries of learning how to read people. To her, he was an open book.

"Yes, I can track you. I held the Triforce too, y'know. I held it _together_. I know how it feels, both apart and together. It's something I'll always know."

Ganon blinked, then grimaced. It was true, she _had_ held the Triforce. It hadn't split apart at her touch, and she'd tried to save it from the shade. From him. It had almost gotten her killed on multiple occasions.

"How could _you_ hold it?" he demanded finally, pulling the cloak on. It was cold, and he wished he had some armor of his own, or at the least, a shirt.

"Because I understand it." She shrugged lightly, and held up three fingers, ticking off points. "Power. Wisdom. Courage. They're a balance. Power requires courage to wield it, and wisdom to know when it's better to not. Wisdom requires power to be effective, and courage to be heard. Courage requires power to back it up, and wisdom to know the difference between being brave, and being a dumbass. Your shade, and you, by extent, only believed in the power. Zelda understood the wisdom side of it, but lacked the courage to do anything with the power. Link was built into courage, and theoretically he could have come into wisdom and power over his grand adventures, but never quite believed."

"But you got it from the start," he said, puzzled more than hostile now. "Why didn't you use it then?"

She laughed bitterly, golden eyes darkening with the memory.

"I was ten. I didn't know the whole of the legend, and I _barely_ understood the principles the way I do now. All I could think of was keeping it out of _your_ reach. Which, if you'll notice, I failed miserably at, and have spent the past five centuries paying for.

"Besides which, while I may understand it, I'm not exactly the hero type. I'm the guide."

Ganon shook his head, baffled.

"You always show the kid what to do," he said. "Why don't you just _do_ it?"

"Because, dimbrain, I can't wield the Master Sword. I'm _not_ the hero of the story. I never have been. I never will be. I'm the ending of it, and that's _it_. Now if you're done asking stupid questions, it's time to go up and see what the hell happened to the market."

He still had more questions, but the closed expression on her face suggested he wasn't likely to get any more answers. So he nodded a little, and followed her out into the rain.

The thunder and lightning might have stopped, but the rain was anything but played out. The water was rising in the lake itself, and the rain was falling hard enough that it was difficult to see more than a few feet ahead. Finding the path up was not easy. It didn't help that it was a narrow path, and the water was turning it into a muddy sort of waterfall. Both Ganon and Raiha fell more than once, and were rather muddy by the time they reached the top.

Raiha froze, causing Ganon to run into her and knock her forehead. He was about to curse at her when the words died on his tongue.

The walls around the Market were broken. Some had fallen completely. Whatever dust there might have been at the start was mud, and there were people milling about. Some were wearing a guard's uniform, and poking morosely through the rubble, while others were ordinary people, crying and carrying on. Ganon took a reflexive step back; these were not his people.

Raiha scowled at him over her shoulder.

"If I have to chase your ass down, I swear, I will cut your legs off at the knees," she growled.

He believed her, and wanting to or not, he followed her into the wreckage of the town. And it _was_ a wreck. Very few buildings were left standing. The streets were cracked. People cried out for help, for food, for water, for the goddesses...

The castle, when they reached the center of town, was entirely blocked off from them by a magical shield of some type. Ganon vaguely recognized it as one the shade had used on a previous escape; Raiha's cursing suggested that she recognized it as well.

"All right. Well. If that thing is actually in there, then we're going to have to go in another way," she grumbled. "Fine. Plan B."

"What's, plan B, and what was plan A even going to _be_?" he demanded, grabbing her by one arm.

"Plan B is finding the old house that connected to the sewers and getting to the palace that way," she said irritably, pulling her arm out of his grip. "And plan A is a moot point."

He grabbed her arm again, harder this time, doing his level best to stop her in her tracks. The icy look she gave him reminded him all too well that she didn't actually _like_ him, and only hesitated to kill him because of his triforce piece. But, shaken or not, he was not going to let her do this without having his say.

"If you go in there, you're going to get killed," he snapped, shaking her arm a little to emphasize his point. "That's probably what the thing _wants_ you to do! And there's no way in the hells that you're getting me to go with you."

"Fine. You can stay here and look for the kid," she shot back, twisting her arm free this time. He winced a little at the maneuver, as it bent his fingers briefly in uncomfortable directions, then glared at her.

"You are going to get yourself killed. Or possessed."

She snorted.

"Please. You seem to be forgetting a couple of things. One, I'm half the reason magic still live in this world. And two, I know the palace better than anyone. All the old secret passages that have been forgotten, _I know them_. Besides," she turned away then, looking over the drenched and damaged city, "I don't really have a choice. There are some things in the palace that require retrieval, or we will be in trouble much worse than this."

He gritted his teeth, but pulled hard on his temper; shouting about her reckless idiocy in the middle of town wasn't going to do much except maybe get people to blame them for this mess.

"Like what?" he ground out.

"You don't want me to answer that. You really don't."

Her voice was flat, cold. A warning against pressing further. A small part of him relished the idea of her going off to the palace and getting herself killed. Or captured. Then she'd be out of his hair for good, and he could take his triforce piece somewhere else. A larger part of him though, the part that was a mix of conscience and avarice, balked at the notion of letting her go it alone. Into the palace, where both danger and treasure waited? How could a thief of his caliber _not_ want to break in?

"Fine," he muttered irritably. "Where's this stupid house then?"

Raiha blinked, and turned to look at him, surprised and suspicious all at once. After a moment she just snorted and motioned for him to follow, leading the way down one of the ruined side streets. He watched as she looked from side to side, catching sounds that his own hearing actually couldn't make out; it was plain from her body language that she wanted to help, to dig people out. He wasn't sure if he was annoyed or pleased by the fact that she was cold enough to keep walking.

She wasn't pleased, however. While the mission definitely came first, and she _had_ to get those journals out of the library, it hurt badly to hear people suffering and to not be able to do anything about it. She could feel Link as well, somewhere in this mess, constantly moving about. At least he was unharmed... She would have to find him after, however, and prayed hard to the goddesses that there _was_ an after.

The house was, as she'd thought, a complete ruin. And with the rain, there was no point in using Din's Fire, or any of the variants to try and clear the debris. Magical fire or not, it still obeyed the laws of nature at the most inconvenient of times. The hard way it was, then.

"Help me move some of this crap," she said, reaching out and snagging a beam to push against, hard. "The sewer entrance is underneath it all."

Ganon grumbled a little, but did as instructed, helping to shove back the roof, and move several large wooden beams. They ended up scaring several cats out from under the wreckage, all of them alive, and none of them injured, much to Raiha's relief. She loved cats; they were just like her.

The chest, when finally revealed, had a very flattened lid, and Raiha had to put her sword between the edges to get it pried up properly. Below, the water in the sewers was rushing by. Ganon made a face.

"You're not seriously going to jump into that, are you?" he asked.

"Why not? I can swim."

"With all that gear?"

She actually grinned at him, but her smile was more teeth than humor.

"I'm wearing my Zora tunic. _I_ will be fine. Can you swim?"

Ganon glared. Her grin took on an edge of genuine humor, albeit at his expense.

"Like I said, you can always find Link."

"I'm coming, I'm coming," he grumbled. "Besides, knowing that idiot, he'd try to kill me too."

"You really don't know a damn thing about rebirth, do you?" She shook her head slightly, and carefully eased down into the sewers. "Never mind. Ask me later."

She dropped in with a splash that made him shudder a little. He considered, heavily, not following after. Running was becoming more and more appealing.

"Gods damnit," her grumbled, swinging his legs over the side. "Why does _she_ get to have all the damn answers?"

He dropped down with a splash and let the disgusting water carry him away.

Raiha had not expected him to come along. Either he would have stayed as a guard, or gone to find Link. Or there was the off-chance that he would actually scarper, which would be annoying but she could track him, so she would have let him get away with it. So she was already a quarter of the way up the interior of the cistern when he cam spluttering and flailing his way in. It was, quite honestly, surprising. And, after a bit, highly amusing. It was plain that Ganon was no great shakes at swimming.

She let him flail about for a few minutes, if only because she was not feeling particularly helpful, before she deigned to go back down the crumbling steps—how many times had she told Zelda to fix it?-grab him by the arm and pull him out of the muck. He spat, repeatedly, and she snickered unmercifully.

"Good job keeping your head above the water. Next time, keep your mouth shut. Here."

And she passed him a sealed water bottle. He took it with a glare, and used it to clean out his mouth, before drinking what little remained, then handed it back. She hooked it to her belt again, and ignored his muttered curses.

"We need to get up there," and she pointed to the top of the cistern. "Come on."

She led the way, inching carefully across ropes and climbing up crumbling stairs, doing her best to not look down at any point in time. Ganon only deliberately shook a rope once; despite almost falling, when she reached the other side, pale and shaking, she was also furious, and held up a hand that quickly became wreathed in flames. Halfway across the rope, the smugness drained from Ganon as she gave him an icy glare.

"Do that again, and next time, I'll drown you," she hissed.

And then she stomped on the end of the rope, nearly knocking him off. Given that they were halfway up, the fall would have been painful at best, fatal at worst, and it was more luck than skill that allowed him to grab the rope and inch the rest of the way across upside-down. She had already made her way up to the next landing, and he decided to give her the lead, both to avoid temptation to tweak her again, and somewhat worried about the genuine threatening aura she gave off when she was that angry.

By the time they reached the top she was calmer, though she had elected to not speak with him unless necessary. The silent treatment was probably petty, she knew, but better the silent treatment then losing her temper with him.

There was always scaffolding on the roof. It used to be that soldiers had actively patrolled the roof, alongside the workmen who were affecting repairs, replacements, or just checking the roof over for leaks. But that had been several decades ago; now the scaffolding was in disrepair, wood rotten in a couple of places, making for tricky foot. It almost made Raiha wish for Midna and the damaging Twilight that had descended a hundred years back. At least then she would have had a form that lay closer to the roof, with claws for digging into the wood.

Still hearing Ganon swear as the wind tried to shove them around like kites was actually rather cathartic. She was smiling with perhaps a little bit of malicious amusement, by the time they reached the princess's tower. It seemed odd, though; the barrier could keep people out, but not weather? Raiha considered the question for a moment, then thought about the shielding spell known as Nayru's Love, which, admittedly, worked on a similar principle. After a moment she deiced to set the thought aside for the moment; she didn't have time to do tests and research. She needed to get her journals, and her notes, out of the palace library before that shade found them.

"So," Ganon growled a little as they moved into the tower. "Where _are_ we going?"

"Palace library," she said, her tone quiet, but deliberately off-hand. She smirked at the sound of him stumbling.

Ganon stared at her back as he caught his balance. The palace library had never, as far as he'd heard, been open and available to _anyone_ outside the royal family. The shade had never been interestedin it either, to busy focusing on how to bring about control of the worldto look into ancient histories and stories of old battles.

"Put your tongue back in your head, twit, we're looking for some very specific books," she said dryly as they padded up the stairs. The princess's room, as Raiha had expected, was abandoned, and the fire was cold; Zelda had not been here for at least a day, maybe more. "Because, yes, I was an idiot, and never thought I'd have to fight against Zelda."

"...well, if you're going to take all the _fun_ out of the insult," he grumbled. "All right. What?"

"A bundle of journals about this big," and she had her hands roughly a foot apart. "I made the rookie mistake of writing personal memoirs about the worst of the messes. If your shade gets its hand on those, we'll be in for some trouble. But the big one is a grimoire."

"_You_. Made a grimoire?"

She shot him an irritated look, and stepped into the fireplace.

"I don't have an eidetic memory. And some of the spells and things I've made..." she shook her head a little. "I didn't want them in my Spirits. But I didn't want them forgotten either. So. Yes. I made a grimoire. I left it here for safekeeping, because you were never terribly perceptive about things like that."

"Hey!" He paused, then sighed reluctantly. "Okay, point for you. The shade was always more... interested in causing damage and isolating people than anything else. Why it never fully pegged you as a threat..."

She snorted a little, found the trigger, and pushed it. The back half of the fireplace grated and crunched downward, into the floor.

"Pegged me enough," she grumbled, absently rubbing her hand across her chest. "The damage to my children hurt like a wicked bitch, and screwed with me for _weeks_ until Link and Midna managed to fix things."

He snickered a little, which earned him another glare.

"It's dark leather, about this big," this time she held her hands around half a foot apart, "with a bronze binding. We get those things only."

"What about going down t-"

"No. It's only a matter of time before she figures out I'm here, and nothing in the vault is magical anyways. In case I haven't made the point clear, magic is _dying_ in this world. All my efforts can't stop it. Now shut up, and let's get moving before things start happening!"

He subsided, feeling a bit sulky, and followed her down the dark and dusty tunnel in silence. He couldn't understand her. She snipped and snapped, and demanded his help, then told him to leave if he was going to leave. He understood that she was nipping at his pride, to make him stay, but he didn't quite understand they _why_ of it.

Raiha silently counted the stairs, taking careful turns where they were warranted, and tuned Ganon out to the best of her abilities. He didn't need to know that she was scared. She had a plan, a vague one, and it all hinged on being able to play along with whatever Princess Zelda was now. If she could just _beat_ Zelda into the archives, and find the things that needed to be found, there would be one advantage of them.

It was finding things within the short span of time, and having someone at he back she didn't trust farther than she could throw, that was worrying her the most.

"Look." she said abruptly, cunting the turns. They were getting lower down now, closer. "I don't like you. I don't trust you. No doubt the same is true about you concerning me. Unfortunately, right now, I'm going to need to you to do _exactly_ what I tell you to do. If I tell you to run, you get the hell out."

"...no arguments here," he muttered. "I haven't been myself long enough to want to give it back up."

He didn't see the smile that flashed across her face, for which she was grateful.

"All right. Through here. Silent as possible."

The hollow she led him into had an exit into a tall, darkly shadowed room. Light came from shielded lanterns, both magical and mundane in wall sconces. No open flames allowed here, and Ganon stifled a whistle when he saw why. As far as he could see were shelves of books. Some were ancient and would not doubt crumble if taken out from between the preserving glass covers, while others at the opposite end of the room, looked newer, ready to be read at will.

Raiha hissed, a thread of sound that snapped his attention back to her. Her attention was focused farther back, in the dimmer section of the library, and she was quick to jump to the floor and hurry back there. Ganon slid down a nearby ladder, carefully avoiding the dead body of what looked to be a scribe as he did so.

So, the shade had already started going through the archives. Or at least, that was how it looked to the former king. He snorted a little; for a creature that had inhabited the wielder of the Triforce of Wisdom, it was still going about things as though it was Power incarnate.

He slowed, wanting to look more at the ancient script, and jerked a little at Raiha's sharp hiss. He turned to see her waving him irritably over to a spot that was surprisingly clear of both books and extra tables. It was one of the rare spots along the stone walls that featured a hanging, though it was so faded he couldn't make out what the design had once been. One of the scones seemed to be faulty; it was dark, and seemed almost broken, though he couldn't quite make out how. Reluctantly he moved towards her.

"Search these shelves," she said her voice soft. "We don't have a lot of time."

He forewent grumbling, noticing something flickering through her gold eyes; he blinked a little, considered the idea, then dismissed it. This was a woman who didn't know what fear _was_, let alone how to give it a hold on her. Instead he turned towards the shelves and started looking for things that would match the descriptions she'd given.

They found the books at around the same time, she found the grimoire and he picked up the bundle of journals from the shelf nearest to the wall. He handled them gingerly, she, more reverently. Then her head snapped up, and she half-turned in the direction of what he assumed was the front of the room, listening hard. He froze too, then just about jumped out of his skin when she shoved the grimoire into his arms, stripped off her bow and quiver, and her tunic, then dove for the broken sconce.

Raiha gave it a sharp yank and turn; the nearby bookshelf popped open with only the slightest of creaks, making Ganon jump. He jumped a third time as she shoved her removed items into his arms, and pushed him towards the opening. She was far stronger than any woman of her size and stature had any right to be, damnit, and he resisted reflexively, wondering if she was actively trying to kill him now.

"Go, _go_, idiot." she snapped, voice still low. "She's coming!"

He needed no further incentive, he moved through, then turned, waiting for her to come. Raiha just shook her head, and jabbed a glowing finger against his skull before shoving the bookcase closed and leaving him in darkness.

Ganon reeled a little; whatever she'd done felt like someone had squeezed his head in a vice then let go abruptly. Had she shoved a _map_ into his brain?

No, more than a map. He concentrated, despite the dizzy feeling, and heard her voice echoing in his ears.

"Take the tunnel down, all the way, just keep going straight. You'll come out in the undercroft. Put on the tunic; it's magic. One size fits all. You break it, you fix it, got it? It'll let you breathe underwater, and you're going to need that. Once you get to the undercroft, you'll need to go all the way to the end of it. The wall's not really a wall. It'll get you to an underground river. Don't worry about the books, the preservation spells on them are good for decades yet. Just get into the water and swim as fast as you can. It should dump you into the lake.

"Grab my pack and get to Faron Wood, go all the way to the giant tree. Wait there. _Do not_ come back into the Market. Or... what's left of it. The shade can't possess you with my magic on you, but it can definitely track your Triforce piece. I'll get out as quick as I can, grab the kid, and catch up.

"I don't like this any more than you do. But I'm trusting you to do _exactly_ what I say. Please, for the love of the goddesses, and my own exhausted sanity, _please_ do what I say."

He thought about ignoring her, as he pulled the tunic on. As promised, it fit, though he felt a bit stupid in it. He thought about breaking open her grimoire and reading right there in the tunnel. But he couldn't deny the urgency in her words... or, rather, her thoughts. The genuine fear that tinged them. This was not the Raiha he was used to observing.

Then again, this was not a situation he was an observer in. After a minute more, he slung the quiver over one shoulder, swept up the books, and ran lightly down the tunnel. It was a long tunnel, leading out into what she had called the undercroft, something he would have called a crypt. It was definitely creepy, but all the bodies were dead, and there were no signs of ReDead or Gibidous. Small favors.

The smooth stone wall at the end didn't give way as she had suggested it would, but then, he was no stranger to strength. He put his shoulder against the wall and shoved, hard. The stone grated reluctantly, then flipped so abruptly that Ganon fell headlong into the water, almost losing his grip on the two bundles of books.

The river swept him further downstream, an outrush of water that left him dumped into the river that fed directly into the lake, knocking the breath out of him in a cloud of bubbles. This time he _did_ lose his grip, and the collection of journals was swept rapidly downstream, out of reach. He clung grimly to the grimoire, however, and was soon deposited in the calmer waters of Lake Hylia.


	4. Three

Three

Raiha spared a moment to adjust her chainmail tunic, and sword belt, both askew after shoving Ganon through to the secret tunnel. She grabbed a book at random, and flipped it open to a somewhere in the middle, leaning nonchalantly against a bookshelf as she felt the power of Wisdom moving closer at a fairly quick speed. She wasn't sure if Zelda had noticed her or Ganon, but she was taking no chances. The anti-scrying spell she'd shoved on him, along with her instructions and the map, was only a half-measure at best. She needed time to construct a better ward against possession, but that would have taken power and longer than the bare seconds she'd had.

Zelda could not be allowed to know what Raiha knew. Therefore, Raiha had taken steps to ensure that her personal knowledge, at least, could be negated.

The princess, when she finally stepped into view around the corner, did not look that much different from what Raiha had known to be consistent with this incarnation. Her hair was a brighter blonde than it had been for a few generations, calling back to an older Zelda, one that Raiha still missed. The hair was shorter; she preferred a bun to something like her grandmother's braid. The gown was elegantly cut, and the princess was armed with a thin long blade, much like the one Raiha herself wore.

The truth was in the eyes, however. While Zelda as herself could hold a perfect polite expression at even the dullest of moments, the shade was less restrained. Even in a mind that could tap into the wisdom of the piece that carried the same attribute, it seemed that the creature was not as subtle as it wanted to be.

Raiha looked up from her book and nodded politely, noting all of this in the span of moments. She had to buy Ganon time to get out of the palace; at least he'd grabbed a brain in the past few moments and started heading in the direction she'd wanted him to go.

"Princess. Sorry I haven't come to say hello. I was trying to find a way to break the shield around the castle."

"Ah... L... Lady Raiha. I didn't know you were... here. I thought I sensed someone else."

"Just me," Raiha smiled a little, playing friendly. Zelda had always seen her calmer side, after all, the more open one. Until now, there had never been a reason to not trust her. "I was trying something and I guess it backfired. Luckily, nothing caught fire, yeah?"

Alarmed, the princess looked around. Raiha grinned openly.

"I'm kidding. Too much ancient history in here for me to risk that."

It helped to be truthful too. She was going to have to play this delicately to get out without being attacked. Secrecy would work so much better; once the shade got a handle on how wisdom worked... Well. Then it would be time to shift tactics.

"I... I'm glad you're here," Zelda said, sheathing her blade. The move looked reluctant to Raiha, and she guessed the shade had decided to play the subtle angle as well, either playing along, or unwilling to tip its hand just yet. "Though I certainly didn't expect it."

"I'm like a cat," Raiha waved a hand lightly, then closed the book with a light snap. "I come and go as I please. That barrier makes it a bit difficult, though. Any idea what caused it?"

"N-no, I... I can't say that I do," the princess replied, shaking her head lightly. "Or what caused the shaking. What the townspeople must be going through..."

It would have been a good act if Raiha hadn't been forewarned. It _almost_ sounded right. But there was a note of falseness to the words. Raiha decided to pretend she hadn't heard it. She wouldn't rise the to shade's bait. Not yet.

"Din only knows," she said gravely. "Though I'm willing to bet it's nothing good. Unfortunately, I'm not finding a lot in this section. Have you had any luck searching?"

"No." Zelda hesitated. "There was... there was this _awful_ noise a few days ago. Just before the barrier sprang up. Do you think...?"

"I heard it," and here Raiha didn't have to pretend to be grim. She half-turned away from the princess, crossing her arms over her chest irritable. "If I had to guess, Ganon escaped again, and it's his hand behind this barrier. Jerk."

She saw it then; the facade fading away for a moment to reveal a smug triumph. The triumph twisted for a moment, the true Zelda fighting to break free of the shade's control no doubt. She made a sound, and Raiha turned to glance fully at her, an eyebrow going up curiously. But the shade was back in control at that moment, and affected a blush. After a moment, the redhead shrugged lightly, mentally assessing Ganon's distance. It had taken an abrupt spike in speed, so theoretically, he could have been at the river. Either way, it seemed he was out of danger at the moment.

Good.

"I wonder what the point of this barrier even is," she frowned a little. "Why keep you in?"

"Well... it... _is_ Ganon," the princess said after a moment. "Perhaps he worries that I could be a threat somehow."

"Usually when he pegs you as a threat, princess, he goes out of his way to force you into hiding, or seal you up," Raiha pointed out. "Enchanted sleep and all that crap. Power isn't subtle, and neither ie he."

"Oh. I see. Hm..."

The princess put on a thoughtful expression, and Raiha breathed a mental sigh of relief, as well as resignation. She hadn't tipped her hand yet, but it was only a matter of time, and she couldn't stay forever without giving away too much. If she escaped, the shade would know she had ways in and out that it hadn't accounted for, and the next barrier would be harder to penetrate subtly.

"You've been around for a long time, right?" Zelda asked, a note of curiosity in her voice.

"You could say that," Raiha shrugged a little. "I'm no spring chicken, at any rate."

"So... perhaps you might know of some other way out?"

Raiha sat hard on her reaction, and did her best to keep her half-shrug nonchalant.

"Maybe. I mean, it's a palace, there's bound to be some secret tunnels around. Nayru only knows where they lead though. Probably better not to experiment. Knowing my luck, we'd end up in a cistern, or worse."

If the shade got out among the population, being subtle like this? Oh, the trouble that could be caused. Hells, if she had to tip her hand... Good thing most of her toys were in her pack,and the pack was back with Lanayru. There were some things she couldn't afford to lose. And Ganon could only pry so much without getting zapped by her spells. Pity she'd miss that...

"It's going to take _days_ to comb the archives for shield breakers," Raiha said, feigning disgust. "Though I suppose on the bright side, at least you're safe, even if stuck. There's enough food and water stored away to feed an army, right?"

"Ah, yes. Something like that, at least."

"Then I guess we just sit tight and wait for the hero."

"Do you think one will come?"

Raiha glanced at Zelda; there was more eagerness than worry in her tone. The shade was still to acclimatized to power to be really _good_ at being smart. And what the shade had _always_ wanted was to bring the Triforce together, and steal the wish to control the world.

Mentally Raiha scowled. It would get the Triforce over her dead and desiccated body.

"A hero always comes. That's the formula for this disaster. It's always been the way."

At least it had always been the way when she was there capable of giving destiny a hard shove. Link being in town as a trainee guardsman had never been part of any of her plans, but hells. The kid couldn't live in Kakariko forever!

Raiha just sighed, and shook her head a little.

"I'll just keep looking for a while. Maybe go outside and get a closer look at it and see if I can't unravel it that way."

"Isn't there anything you have that could help with that?"

Raiha grimaced and spread her hands lightly.

"Unfortunately, not really. I wasn't expecting anything like this. I'm lucky to have my sword and dagger, along with my armor. Teach me to not be fully kitted out in an emergency."

"Ah. A pity."

Raiha's eyes narrowed fractionally; was the game up already? No, the princess looked annoyed, but also unsuspicious. The shade had to figure it was playing the part well enough to keep her for checking too hard.

"I'll let you get back to it then. Please, if you find anything..."

"I'll let you know, Princess, no worries there. Being trapped in here while food runs out is definitely not my idea of a party."

Raiha bowed as Zelda turned away and headed back towards the entrance to the stacks. She held her breath as the feel of tainted Wisdom receded until it reached the area Raiha figured was the throne room, where it started doing... _something_.

"Right," the redhead muttered, heading for another exit tunnel. "Time to leave before I really _do_ get stuck."

It was the last thought she had before something slammed into her from behind and knocked her out cold.

Link was not having a good week. Of the month he'd been in training as a guard, this was definitely the worst. It had started with that horrible _sound_ waking him and his fellow trainees out of sound slumber; most of them had started panicking and brandishing their spears. His left hand had burned for a good ten minutes, occupying most of his attention, but once he could breathe again he'd spent a while working to calm them down. Lady Raiha's advice of acting like he was calm and in charge had done wonders for that.

That had lasted until the earthquake. He'd been exceptionally lucky then, diving under his bed for protection. Some of the others hadn't been as fast, and there were dead and injured all around him by the time the tremors had stopped. He was still trying to get the smell of blood out of his nose.

Unfortunately, with his work on rescuing the people still trapped under the collapsed buildings, that was easier said than done.

It made him long for Kakariko, the inn where his mother worked, and the familiar voice of Gerti the shaman. The gorons and their stolid nature would have been welcome as well, not to mention their strength. But they hadn't been in town for a week, making a journey back to Kakariko for one reason or another en masse that he hadn't thought to ask about.

So it was up to the humans, both pointy eared and round, to dig out the people both living and dead. It wasn't a pleasant task. It was made more unnerving by the fact that there was some sort of barrier around the castle; not a lethal one, but no one was getting in or out any time soon as far as they knew. Which left the princess, and most of the elder guardsmen stuck inside, unable to help.

He'd tried to find some way of contacting Lady Riaha before he'd gotten involved in rescue work, but he'd never had a head for the magic she'd tried to teach him, and short of taking one of the horses from the stables and running—deserting, really—there was no other way. He wished there was; she was a natural leader, and his friend. He missed her, and would have loved to hear her acidically comment on the panic. And she always had good advice, even if it was, occasionally, really cryptic.

Link sighed and wiped some of the mud off his face. At least the rain had kept the dust down, and given even the trapped people a drink. Now they were worried about it flooding, however, and trying to get to the people in basements of sealed rooms. There weren't too many of those left, thankfully.

His hand was itching again, and he rubbed it absently, looking down at the bandages which covered what Lady Raiha had called his mark of destiny. Most of the time it just looked like anyone else's tattoo of the Triforce, albeit in a place most people didn't often put it. But when it had burned, it had seared a deeper color into his skin, and he was willing to swear the individual triangles were pulsing every so often.

Another one of those things she could have answered if she was here.

Because he was staring at the palace, he saw the shockwave begin. He was able to duck down as a wave of golden-black _something_ slammed through the air, throwing people and debris around like they were paper in a high breeze.

And then it got worse. The people the wave tossed around began _changing_. Link stared in horror as bodies twisted and mutated before his eyes. The sounds alone were horrifying; people screaming in new pain as bodies cracked and crunched, limbs deforming, reforming, breaking in half... It took a lot of willpower to avoid throwing up.

The people, when the transformation ended, looked nothing like their former selves. Some of them had changed to something that mixed animal and human, with an armor plating over what might be vulnerable points. Long, sharp teeth and blank eyes that flickered after a moment with something Link was willing to call hatred, sharp claws...

Others looked like nothing more than large suits of armor, similar in design to a creature Raiha had shown him once. She'd called it an Iron Knuckle, and said it hit hard, though t was slow.

There were others. Some people looked like they'd been turned into Moblins, or Lizofols. Some strange sort of scrub brush, even.

The shovel was not a good weapon. As far as he could tell, there was no one alive around him, and if there were people buried under the rubble, they were probably a lot safer than up top.

Another saying of Lady Raiha's came to mind.

_It's not stupid to run when you're overpowered. Retreating and regrouping is smarter than standing any dying any day. _Especially_ when no one else knows what you know._

He had to get to Kakariko. He had to tell Lady Raiha. She knew so much... surely, _surely_ she could fix this!

He ran.

Ganon saw the shockwave rippling outwards from town from where he stood at the base of the desert. He'd been attempting to get through the barrier Raiha had placed there, just to see if he could. Having lost her personal journals, and failing—painfully—to open the grimoire she'd sent with him, he'd thought to at least try. He had the Triforce of Power, after all, and she was just an annoying woman of mixed race who shouldn't even be _alive_.

In a way, he was almost happy to fail. Happier still that failure left him sitting in a direction to watch the bloom of chaotic magic that slammed through the land. It ablated sharply off whatever protection she'd put in front of the main entrance, but that was the only place it hadn't penetrated. He wondered, idly, if Raiha was dead. If she was, wouldn't that be all for the better?

He could still hear her instructions in his head, telling him to make for Faron Woods and the large tree. No matter how many times he tried to clear his mind, the urgency in those words stayed with him. She had _said_, too, that she would catch up.

What if the shade had her?

He shuddered a little. That was a horrifying thought. He might not know a lot about Raiha as she was now, but she wasn't that naïve, terrified seventeen year old he could remember back when this whole mess first began. She was a warrior now, and one hell of a strategist. And if she as telling the truth about making the Light spirits, she had _some_ sort of power. Not the endless font that he had, but those Spirits, and the Sage constructs in that prison, were no small creations.

What _was_ she?

He pondered the idea as he made his way up from the lake, carefully wading in the mud and muck. The rain was still ongoing, with the thunder and lightning looking like they would get going again in response to that surge of magic. That was going to make this trip fairly miserable. Sure the Zora tunic let him breathe underwater, but it didn't exactly help him stay _dry_, and after that swim, the cloak was fairly useless too.

Well, she had shoved a map sideways into his head, and not just the palace map either. She had assumed—correctly—that he knew next to nothing about the actual geography of Hyrule. He was definitely going to have to ask her about that spell when he next saw her. He refused to think about what might happen if he didn't.

The nearest town, he discovered, was Kakariko. He had vague memories of it, mostly just relating to it's general closeness. According to the map, it had a hot spring, an inn, a Spirit's spring, and a few shops that might have some useful items worth buying. And her pack was weighted down by several pouches of rupees in a number of denominations. He'd gone through it pretty thoroughly. He would admit to being grudgingly impressed with how many little secret pockets she had in the thing. There was only a handful he couldn't get into, and that was more because she'd sealed them magically than any lack of skill on his part.

Oh yeah. He could definitely do this.

Feeling returned slowly for Raiha, in fits and bursts. Her head rang like the inside of a bell, and there was the coppery tang of blood in her mouth, suggesting she'd bit some part of herself on the way down.

She decided not to move until she was sure she could do it quickly, and kept her breathing slow and deep as more and more sensation returned. There was stone underneath her, but that wasn't very helpful; three-quarters of the palace was stone, and carpeting was used sparingly. The lights... well, actually, there didn't seem to be any. Which meant at the very least, she was no longer in the archives.

She listened, hard, as her headache faded to something she could push aside, but could hear no one else breathing in the same area as her. There was no rustling sounds, or footsteps either. Gingerly, she cracked her eyes open.

She was in the dungeon. Not only was she in the dungeon, someone had thought to take away her chainmail and sword belt. Raiha made a face and got to her feet. She had either tipped the shade somehow, or it had decided that tucking her away in a cell was a good way to keep her occupied. Just more proof that the thing was still not used to more subtle machinations. A _wiser_ plan would have been to put her in a bed and have someone stand watch over her, leaving arms and armor nearby in a show of goodwill. Granted, they would have to have been replaced by something of lesser quality, something easily broken and made useless, but _still._

Well, no point in giving the thing _ideas_ by complaining aloud. Just because she would have done it differently didn't mean that she had to actually mention this. There was truth to the saying 'the walls have ears', after all. Especially in the palace. It occasionally had eyes too, but at the moment, it looked like the shade still had no idea how to actually work the inherent magic of the palace. Good.

Since no one was present, she hummed the first few notes of the Song of Healing and lets out a faint sigh of relief as the pain washed away in the softness of the magic. It was low enough on the power scale to be unnoticed, and it worked wonders even without being in conjunction with the healing abilities of a Spirit Spring.

Her internal clock suggested she'd lost at least a day to unconsciousness from that spell, or whatever it was, slamming into her personal barriers and conflicting with them. She wasn't sure she wanted to actually _know_ what had happened, or what was meant to happen. Not really.

"Naryu's wisdom keep me safe," she muttered as she prowled the cell, checking the walls carefully. "Din's power keep me strong. Farore's courage keep me steady."

This didn't appear to be the same set of cells that she'd broken out of with the help of Midna and wolf Link at the start of what she privately called the Twilight Debacle, but there were tunnels around somewhere. When separating the palace and the Temple of Time had made the original palace collapse, she'd helped with the reconstruction. And made a number of escape routes, because she had learned that she needed to plan ahead.

And she had learned that lesson very, _very_ well.

She flexed her fingers lightly, sorting through spells in her mind, then settled on the one that would help her melt the lock. It took a little over five minutes, mostly because she was keeping the level of power low in hopes of avoiding unpleasant attention. The part of her mind not focused on the magic—the majority, really—was turning over options and paying attention to as much as possible.

She could sense the shade up and over. From her memory of the original plans, the cells were on the south and west sides of the palace, so the shade was either in the archives, or the throne room, depending on where Raiha herself was. Her other senses reached out to find Power and Courage, and was pleased—if a bit surprised—to find them converging on the same area. Link's reincarnations never remembered the past lives, so she vaguely hoped Ganon wouldn't do anything too stupid.

….actually, she hoped they would both be sensible, because she had little doubts that Link would recognize the clothing Ganon was wearing, and might cause trouble. She loved the boy, really, but while he was sweet, he _did_ occasionally jump to the wrong conclusion.

The door swung open on creaking hinges, and she slipped out, a wraith in the shadows of the badly lit dungeon. She could always replace her chainmail and weapons, but she'd prefer to have _something_ before she found the tunnels out. She was quite willing to bet the world had gone straight to hell while she'd been unconscious. It did that with depressing regularity.

The inn wasn't terrible, Ganon decided. Not amazing, but not terrible. Though the beds were tiny. There was no way he was going to fit into one, not with his height. Had the people _shrunk_ over the past centuries, or what?

Well, it wasn't that important; he could remember, very vaguely, sleeping on the sandy floor of the Gerduo complex. Or the sands of the desert. Softer, definitely, but he would survive.

A few people had given him odd looks when he'd walked in, and moved around him warily, almost fearfully. A part of him was pleased and amused by the reaction, while another part was annoyed. A third part of him was curious; how did _Raiha_ fit in with these people. She was maybe a head and a half shorter than him at most, which still put her at half a head taller than everyone else at the very least.

What, he wondered again, was her story? And, more importantly, would she tell him? She was going to have to tell him something, at least. Like, the point behind going to this Ordon province and the forest.

….assuming she really did catch up to him. He kind of hoped she would. She had all the answers, damnit.

Well, he would stay put for a couple of days. Maybe use her money to buy himself some useful things. Like a shirt of his own, especially since it seemed like the rain wouldn't let up any time soon. And a decent weapon; her bow was all right, but he'd never been very good with one. Pity he'd not thought to try and find a scimitar, but then, getting back into the desert now was all but impossible.

Yes, staying put for a day or so would be just fine with him.

The plains of Hyrule had suffered almost as much as the people. There was the usual moblins and birds, and the strange bomb-like creatures... and then there was worse. There were strange black beings, that seemed to have metal plates instead of faces or heads, and the _screams_...

Link shuddered, and looked around for another spot nearby that he could stealth to. Never had he been so glad for the personal hand Lady Raiha had taken in his training, though he'd never fully understood the why of it. He still didn't understand the why, but now he was much more grateful.

He'd tried smearing mud into his hair and on his skin, but the rain was a torrent now, and just washed it right back out. He'd yet to be hit by lightning, at least, but there was the sense that his luck on that front would run out soon if he didn't make it to the gates of Kakariko.

When he'd been a boy, he'd often wondered about those gates. His mother had told him they were for protection, because sometimes bad things happened, and the gates would keep them safe. When he'd asked the lady about such things, years later, she'd only laughed, before telling him that the gates could protect those who couldn't protect themselves, but hiding behind them was the surest way to die. He remembered the laugh mostly; it had been so painful he'd actually hugged her after.

She had let him, but she had left not long after. And a couple days after, he'd been accepted into the Hyrule guard, and he hadn't even been able to tell her goodbye...

Link moved carefully to his next hiding spot, doing his best to avoid beasts. He had no spear, and any stick that might make a decent weapon was up on the higher ridges; climbing in a thunderstorm, wearing even a hint of metal armor, seemed like a spectacularly bad idea. That and the chill of the rain made him long to be at home in his mother's inn. He could really go for a hot stew and a warm bed right about now...

The cells were the western ones, Raiha had discovered with some disgust. No easy route out here, and nothing that took her by the armory either. Oh sure, she could have backtracked and found weapons and armor, but that took time, and she had the sense that she was fast running out of it. And with no ocarina to slow it down, well, she was having to make some hard and fast decisions.

Mostly the priority was getting out of the castle. The shade, fortunately enough, had not changed the shape or size of its barrier, and she could certainly hold her breath long enough to get out if the river pulled her under. No, the problem was that the river was on the east side, which meant Raiha was using the passages. Passages that were no longer quite as secret as they had been.

"Shouldn't even have admitted there could _be_ passages," she muttered irritably, moving with care down one of them. She'd been forced to backtrack three times already thanks to other beings exploring the hidden hallways, and her temper was starting to fray. "Stupid rookie mistake. Alive almost a thousand years and I still screw up, way to brain, self."

Then again, while she had plans within plans, even she was not infallible. In a way, it was comforting to her; she wasn't so jaded as to be uncaring, wasn't so 'perfected' as to be predictable.

It was still an annoying slip up, though.

As was being a day behind both Ganon and Link. Ganon seemed to have stopped, and she wondered if he was being foolish. Link she could sense still moving, albeit in fits and bursts, and she had to hazard a guess that the kid was trying to get across the plains. The idea that he was having to do so as slowly as he was, did not project a good picture for her own chances. Fire wouldn't work in the rain, though the shield would undoubtedly help fend off the worst of the problems. Wind maybe, but she had no desire to add to the storm. She would be happiest if that blew itself out, really.

She froze briefly, listening hard, then quickly scaled the wall to an overhanging ledge as another small group of creatures, these ones with torches, stopped at the end of the hall. Three split off and came in her direction while the rest continued onwards. She was not high up enough to avoid being spotted, but she was definitely fast enough to escape. The creatures, naturally, gave chase. It took two corners before Raiha was fed up with running and lobbed a fireball over one shoulder to block off the hallway. The amount of power, however, drew the feeling of tainted Wisdom in her direction.

At which point she decided to hell with it, activated the shield spell, and ran for her life.


	5. Four

Four

Link sighed in relief to make it to the inn. The rain seemed lessened around Kakariko for some reason, and the storm part of it was done with for the moment, or so he hoped. It had been a long, cold two day sneak fest through Hyrule Plains, and he had no desire to repeat the experience. It made him glad that the hot spring on top of the inn had a cover; going up there and warming up after some of his mother's food and a long nap in his own bed sounded like the perfect treat.

The inn was not deserted, despite the constant, consistent rain. For one, his mother was one of the best cooks in the village, and for two, his father brewed a mean ale. They'd both been a little disappointed when Link had shown no interest in taking over for them, and admittedly neither of them much appreciated Raiha for encouraging him, but Link had a sister who was more than willing to fill his shoes.

Said sister promptly squealed and tackled him when he stepped into the inn, nearly knocking him back out into the rain. Most of the patrons simply snickered, knowing how fond the sibling pair was of one another.

Ganon, from his place at the top of the stairs, just snorted. The kid had no reflexes to speak of if his own sister could knock him ass over teakettle like that. What Raiha continued to see in him, he'd probably never figure out.

Though he was loathe to admit it, he'd hoped that Raiha would arrive with the kid, which would have explained the delay. After all, Link was the only one capable of wielding that stupid sword, and no doubt they would need said stupid sword to fix this mess that the shade had caused. Again. Well, he'd stay for another day; the shirts he'd asked for should be done being altered by that point, and he was still one of the best thieves ever; he could slip out of this place easily.

As much as it galled him, going along with Raiha's plan was probably the sane and sensible choice. Hells, if he didn't have the Triforce of Power still melded to him, he'd have already been gone. Pity he couldn't get rid of it somehow, it had caused him nothing but trouble.

He shook his head a little and pushed off the railing, returning to his rented room. Maybe he'd go pick on the kid later, or, with any luck, Raiha would arrive soon. He had a lot more questions now, and she damn well owed him some answers.

Downstairs, Link let the babble of his excited sister wash over him as she dragged him into the kitchen so that their mother could fuss over him too. He had missed the attention to be sure, but there was one person he'd been hoping to see, and couldn't help being disappointed at the fact that there was no sign of her.

His mother and father exchanged knowing glances.

"Looking for Lady Raiha?" His mother asked teasingly.

Link flushed, and ducked his head, then yelped a little as his sister flung a towel over him.

"She left just the other day after talking to Gerti," the teenager informed him. "When that really weird and scary noise rang through the sky. It was... I dunno. Something was really weird about it. I think she went to go investigate, and didn't say when she'd be back. Dry off! You don't wanna get sick!"

"Guh, Aryil!" he complained.

"Your sister has a point," His father said with a grin. "Imagine the lady coming back and you being stuck in bed."

"Da-ad!"

His parents both laughed at him as Link dried off rather vigorously, grumbling a little about siblings and parents being unfair.

"Here, son," His mother slid a bowl of hearty soup in his direction, still chuckling a little. "Warm up and go rest up. Since you're here, you can help with the work!"

"Yeah~" Aryil grinned. "You can talk to the weird guy that showed up the other day instead of me! He gives me the creeps!"

"Aryil, be polite. He is a paying guest, and there must be a reason for... how he looked when he stepped in," their father scolded mildly.

"I know that Dad, but there's something really weird about him too!" she protested. "He's just kind of creepy, and why did he come in here carrying Lady Raiha's stuff, anyways?"

"Maybe she asked him to," their mother reproved. "We don't even know where the lady is right now, and she's always been mysterious enough as it is. Don't jump to conclusions, dear."

Aryil grumbled a little, not noticing the way Link's hand had stuttered when she'd mentioned the newcomer carrying the lady's things. That made alarms go off in Link's head; the lady was _extremely_ protective of her gear. She carried it herself, unpacked and repacked in solitude most of the time, and had never, as long as he'd known her, let it out of her sight for very long.

The idea that someone had come in, carrying Raiha's pack left him more than vaguely disquieted. It made him _worried_. And a little angry at that. Something bad had plainly happened to her; had this stranger simply taken her stuff and walked off, thinking he'd gained an easy win, or had he been the bad thing?

It was tempting to leave the kitchen and go find out. But he was still soaked to the bone, and that wouldn't present a good image for anyone; he'd left to join the guards because he was an honorable person, not because he wanted to try and intimidate or bully others into doing things his way.

He had another two bowls of the soup—a day and some without food while trying to be highly stealthy had left him _very_ hungry—before retiring to his room to change and fall into bed. Sleep was quick to swamp him.

The plains were a _mess_, and Raiha was not inclined to be slow or stealthy. She had a handful of creatures chasing her, though the shade had seemed inclined to stay inside the palace. Small favors.

The shield was not long lasting, unfortunately, and after making it out of the palace, she had let it dissipate so that she could use her energy for more important things. Like running. Oh sure, she could hold it, but it would take a toll on her own energy, and she didn't want to draw from her four spirits. They needed their power to protect their parts of Hyrule.

Of course, with no armor, and no weapons, this did not put her at any sort of advantage. Her only advantage, really, was sheer speed, and without a horse to help, she was eventually going to get run down by _something_.

Which was probably going to hurt, really. Being legitimately immortal didn't stop her from feeling pain, after all, and she had to heal at a fairly normal rate unless she was in a spirit's spring, or capable of humming the song of healing.

"I would cheerfully _maim_ someone for the bunny hood of Termina," she panted, vaulting over a boulder instead of going around it. The reward was the sound of a few bodies plowing into it.

She made herself keep facing forward, though it took effort. She had a mischievous streak in her miles wide, and seeing the result of that crash would have been wonderful. But she couldn't afford humor at the moment. She'd already had a close call on the bridge, and she didn't need another one. She was _trying_ to make for the Hidden Village first; it was a ghost town now, maybe, but if she could get them in there, she could set off a rock slide and trap the creatures, while she scrambled through the mountains.

It was actually a fairly solid idea, up until she spotted a crude spiked fence between herself and the bridge in question. With a hissed, breathless oath, she jinked immediately to the left, skidding in the water that had collected in the shallows of the land. She hadn't _planned_ to join the boys in Kakariko, but the gate she'd had the Gorons shore up as a preventative measure was probably her best bet for losing the things. Or at least blocking them out until she could come back with her bow and blade, and kill the poor sods.

There was probably a way to change them back, sure, but if she spent time doing that, then they would lose the advantage of speed that would keep the shade off guard. Assuming she could even do that. It was still working crudely at the moment; the monster and the prior blasts of power had proved that well enough. But it couldn't stay that way, and once it realized there was actual gains to be made in _thinking_ and planning ahead...

Raiha spotted the horseshoe shaped grass moments before she shot past it and snatched it on the run. She was going to have to trust the magic to bring her a horse. She didn't even care if it was _her_ horse, she just needed _a_ horse before her strength gave out.

That was the odd thing about the song, really; sometimes the magic would give her the horse she'd raised and trained, picked out from either the royal stables, or from Ordon. The horse that was saddled and loosely bridled, and usually decked out in Raiha's primary weaponry. Other times, it would just send her the nearest horse that was rideable.

In this case, luck was on her side. Singer appeared close at hand, already running, and veered close enough for Raiha to grab the saddle and haul herself up into it. Attached to the saddle, as always, was her favorite sword, the Gilded Sword of Termina, which had _not_ been fun to acquire. But at least now she could fight back, or get out of range as necessary.

Out of range was, of course, the first option. She was unarmored, and while armed, a sword was poor defense against an arrow, or even a thrown rock. Which she was forced to duck, pulling Singer sideways as she did.

She drew the sword and risked a look behind her in time to take an arrow to the shoulder. The brief seconds of warning helped her to stay on the horse at least, and it wasn't her sword arm, so she kept hold of her blade as well. A swift, if painful, swipe over her shoulder knocked a few more arrows out of the air.

Singer was not an instinctive battle horse the way some of her other choices had been. But then, there was almost a schedule for the emergence of evil, and she hadn't expected to need a trained warhorse for another five decades. What Singer _did_ have was some amazing stamina. And they were both going to need it to survive.

The rain had slacked intermittently on and off all day while Ganon had relaxed, or gone through Raiha's pack to see what else she had. Besides the money, there didn't seem to be a lot. Or at least, not a lot he could get into. There were a few tunics in various colors, some that tingled with long-forgotten magic, and a couple of spare chainmail shirts, none of which would fit him well; he was not built as muscular as the shade had made him, but his build was still larger than hers.

There also seemed to be a thousand pockets he just couldn't get into. Most of them were magicked shut, and stung when he tried. He wondered what she had stored in them, and if it would be worth it to try and slice the pack apart. After considering her reaction, he decided it would probably be wisest to leave it well enough alone; he could remember her fighting skills well enough, and she seemed to have sidestepped the problems of the rebirth process he'd often seen in the princess or the hero.

He snorted a little. Some hero. He'd caught sight of Link a few times as the boy had scurried around delivering orders to people in the restaurant portion of the inn along with his sister. He wasn't terribly impressed.

As night began to fall, he ambled down and picked an out of the way table so that he could watch the muttering and worried crowd. He made them nervous, as did the long rain. It was amusing, in a dark sort of way... he tried to squash the thought; while he didn't mind much being feared as a thief, just being feared for no reason, when he wasn't even actually _trying_ both elated and made him massively uncomfortable.

He kept his attention focused on the door, as he had every night since he'd arrived. He couldn't sense Raiha, no, but he knew she'd come. And if she didn't show up here, well, he would get the clothes that fit him in the morning, and continue on to the Ordon province like she'd told him. There had to be a reason for it, Din curse it...

"Why do you have Lady Raiha's things?" a voice asked abruptly.

Ganon blinked, and pulled his gaze away from the door; almost immediately, half a dozen people got up and left. It amused a small corner of him to realize that they'd been too nervous of his steady stare to leave.

Link frowned at him, arms crossed over his chest. Ganon simply raised an eyebrow.

"'Lady' Raiha?" Ganon snorted a little. "Her? A lady? That's rich."

"She's the protector of this town," Link retorted. "As appointed by Princess Zelda herself!"

"Well, that explains where she gets the title," he mused dryly. "What's it matter to you, boy?"

Link's eyes narrowed, and inwardly, Ganon smirked. Well, it seemed like some things didn't change, no matter how many centuries went by. That was a ridiculous dance to go through, though.

"Where _is_ she?"

Ganon shrugged lightly.

"I don't know. She just told me to get the hell out, so I got the hell out."

The answer didn't seem to please the would-be hero. Ganon just sighed in irritation.

"Look, kid, she's not exactly queen helpless like your princess. She's a pain in the ass, and she knows how to _be_ a pain in the ass. So whatever she's doing involves her being a pain in the ass. If it bothers you so much _you_ go and find her. If she's not sticking around somewhere to be a pain in the ass, she's running like hell to _save_ her ass."

"Lady Raiha wouldn't-"

"You don't know her that well, do you?" Ganon interrupted. "She's an opportunistic realist, who uses the people around her to get things the way she wants them to go. A perfected manipulator, who can turn on the charm, the anger, or the tears at will to make you idiots do what she wants!"

"Lady Raiha is a generous and giving individual!" Link countered, his voice raising somewhat. Neither male noticed the slight commotion at the door as a familiar redhead walked in. "She's protected this town for longer than anyone here can remember and there's no way she'd do anything like what you said."

"Oh, no, of course not," Ganon mocked. "She's selflessness incarnate towards you, after a-OW!"

Link also yelped, reflexively bending his head as Ganon did, towards the slender brown hand that gripped one ear and twisted tightly.

"If. You. Are. Both. _Done?_" Raiha's voice was icy, and laced with pain. She was also soaking wet, and noticeably injured. "Ganon, where's my bag?"

"Upstairs!" the taller thief winced as she yanked on his ear. "Left side, first door!"

After giving both their ears one more hard twist to vent her ire, Raiha released them and snatched up her sword; Ganon slumped back down into his chair as Link half-collapsed onto a stool, both rubbing their ears in reflexive pain. She stomped up the stairs, and only then did Ganon noticed that some of the water she was trailing was red.

Link just stared after her in no small amount of shock; her injuries were numerous. There was an arrow in her left shoulder, another looked like it was in her right forearm. Front and back of her white undershirt was strained crimson, and she was leaving bloody bootprints as she walked. Or rather, limped, since there was an arrow in one hip, and what looked to be a very long—if shallow—sword gash on her opposite leg.

The two young men looked at each other for a long minute, then scrambled to follow, united briefly in their concern over the redhead.

Ganon stopped short of the stairs as she came back down, the crimson more evident on the front of her shirt, which was only held together because she had tucked it tightly into her pants. It had been split along the front and the blood spread noticeably. But that was not what made him freeze; in her hands was an instrument he'd thought to never see again in this, or any lifetime.

The Ocarina of Time.

She ignored them both, and pushed out into the rain, her fluid stride checked by the sever pain of her injuries. Blood loss was making her head light as well; she had to get to Eldin's spring before she passed out...

The rain had strengthened again, but in this area, like all the others protected by her spirits, it carried no taint of the dark spell released by the shade. Behind her she heard the inn door open and someone come pelting after her; she raised one hand, and heard the steps come to an abrupt halt, which told her which of the two boys had followed her out at high speed. On any other day, it would have made her smile.

She limped the rest of the way to Eldin's spring, painfully stripping out of her things, and pulling out the arrows that had been left in; healing injuries worked best when all were exposed. Besides, her clothes were ruined anyways.

The spring lit up with golden light the moment she set her foot into it, and she felt the warm, invisible wings of her spirit surrounding her, easing the pain.

Raiha lifted the Ocarina to her lips and began to play.

Link had retreated back to the inn's porch once he saw her starting to shed her clothes, out of respect as well as embarrassment. Her cavalier attitude towards nudity was something he didn't really have, after all, and staring would be rude.

Ganon had stayed on the porch to begin with, not sure if it was from a desire to avoid her anger again, or just wanting to stay as far away from the magical artifact as possible. He couldn't believe she still had the Ocarina of Time. How in the colossus had she gotten her hands on _that_? How long had she had it, even?!

The music made them both jump, strong and steady notes. The golden glow of the spring seemed to waft softly outwards, and both men found their eyelids drooping. Ganon caught himself before he drifted to far, recognizing the magic in the song and shaking it off. Link was less lucky, and the former Gerudo king snickered as he saw the blond fall over and wake up abruptly.

People began streaming out of the inn, yawning. Some waved absently to Link, or to one another, before drifting through the rain to their homes. Few of them even noticed the glowing spirit's spring, and those that did seemed to ignore it.

When the people had left the street, likely to tuck themselves into bed if Ganon was reading the song's magic correctly, she changed the song. From a lullaby it became something that struck a chord of familiarity in Link; he'd often heard her hum or sing this particular song after severe injury.

Again the light of the spring seemed to reflect out into the village. The pain of having their ears twisted simply vanished, as did a few other things neither of them had noticed until the fleeting pain was gone. Reflexively, Ganon and Link exchanged a look of uncertain surprise, before staring uncertainly at the distant figure in the middle of the golden spring.

Raiha had wanted to village to sleep, so playing the Goron's Lullaby had seemed like a good place to start. Following up with the Song of Healing to boost not just her healing, but the bounds of Eldin's protections had been common sense. And the spirit, ever mindful of the conventions of the mortals it watched, had draped her in a loose, golden gown that reflected her role as the mother of the spirits.

Overhead, the rain slackened until it was more of a mist than a downpour., which made Raiha sigh in relief. She was _very_ tired of being soaking wet. Perhaps by dispersing this part of the storm it would ripple outwards and be to the benefit for Hyrule.

"Thank you, Eldin."

_Of course, mother._ The spirit replied.

Now it was time to deal with the two argumentative boys. Raiha sighed, and put the ocarina into a pocket of the gown before turning to head back towards the inn, gathering her discarded clothing along the way. Too much could be done if someone got their hands on the blood-covered cloth, after all. She was going to have to toss the ruined things into the mountain...

"What. In the name of the desert. Was _that_?" Ganon demanded once she was within earshot. "What did you _do_, woman?!"

"First things first," she said. "Link, Ganon. Ganon, Link. Fight when we're not trying to save the world. Because that's what the three of us are going to have to do. Got it?"

Link nodded reflexively. Ganon made an irritated face, and sighed in exasperation. Raiha just rolled her eyes and headed into the inn.

"If you want an explanation, come and get it," she said, her tone mocking.

Since that was more like the Raiha he was getting used to, Ganon followed her inside. Link stared out at the silent village for a few minutes longer, wonderingly, then shook his head and headed in as well. He _really_ wanted to know just what was going on.


	6. Five

Five

It wasn't surprising to see the inn empty. Link wanted to be, but he wasn't. Whatever that first song had done, it had made everyone tired and they'd all gone off home. He had almost thought his family would be asleep at their posts, but no; the curtain between the kitchen and the inn's front desk was closed, signaling that the family was in bed. Reflexively, he locked the inn's door so that no one would try to sneak in for anything.

What was somewhat more remarkable was that the bloody water Raiha had tracked in was just gone. Ganon thought it was a little creepy, though he said nothing. Raiha owed him explanations at this point, and he was damn well going to get them.

She headed up the stairs to the room Ganon had rented with her money. It was the inn's bigger guest room, which meant all three of them could fit in it without it feeling too crowded and cramped. Link sat hesitantly on one of the small beds while Ganon leaned against the wall with his arms folded.

Raiha pulled up a stool, and her pack, and started rummaging through it.

"Where's my journals?"

"Couldn't keep a grip on them," Ganon admitted grudgingly. "Somewhere at the bottom of the lake by now, I expect."

"Hn. Well, the Zora will probably find them. That's all right. Ah. You did manage to keep the grimoire. Good. That's one less thing to worry about."

She pulled out a fresh set of clothing and armor, setting them to one side, and shoved the bloody and ruined garments in, boots and all, to one of the pockets. It was nice knowing the 'bigger on the inside' spell the way she did.

"Um... l... Lady Raiha?"

Raiha glanced up as she unpinned her hair and started taking the braid out.

"What... what's going on?" Link asked uncertainly.

"To make a long and insane story very very short, Zelda's possessed. An ancient and malevolent spirit has taken her over, and is probably in the middle of using the royal archives to come up with something nasty to try and squish us."

Link blinked. Repeatedly. Ganon just snorted. Raiha frowned at him as she finished unbraiding her hair.

"And what's your sorry ass doing hanging around here anyways?" she demanded. "I told you to go to Ordon."

"I was letting you catch up, and getting clothes," Ganon retorted. "You owe me some information."

"I owe you _nothing_, considering this whole mess is your damn fault," Raiha snapped. "Look, I get that in this world, the Gerudo got beaten like a drum in that war, but this stupid was _your_ fault."

"This world?" Ganon spluttered, pushing off the wall. "This world and _every_ world!"

"Gerudo don't exist in every world, _including_ this one now," and her voice was icy. "And every world didn't end up with you being a complete and utter _moron_ and summoning a spirit for some additional power. So don't try and make _me_ feel guilt over something that will always be _your fault_."

There were so many undercurrents to the conversation that Link just stayed silent, hoping neither would turn angry yellow eyes on him. Ganon snarled something under his breath and looked away first. Raiha leaned back slightly on her stool, not smug, just resigned, and tired, and pulled out a brush so that she could neaten up her hair.

"Beside, I carry more guilt with me than you will ever understand," she sighed a little. "Which is neither here, nor there at the moment. Focus on now. We need several things. The Master Sword. Armor. And a weapon for you, which I can't go get."

"Why not?" Link asked after a cautious glance at Ganon.

"It's stored in the Occa city. Too high. We're also going to need to check in with Gorons and Zora to make sure none of them are suffering from unspecified calamities. It's the shade's favorite tactic."

"...I'm... confused," he admitted after a moment.

Raiha sighed a little, and pulled some of her hair over he shoulder as she started brushing.

"All right. Fine. This once I will do exposition. Or at least as much as I can manage since the whole story..." She shook her head a little. "You know the story of the golden goddesses, yeah? They made Hyrule and everything around it, then left the Triforce in our care."

Link nodded. Ganon grunted a little in assent.

"Okay. So. The thing most people will probably never understand is that we're not a single universe. Every decision made, past and present, creates a new future until there's who knows how many separate realities around. Following?"

"Um... a little?"

Raiha managed a tired, tiny smile.

"Well, at least you're honest. Think of it... mmm... sort of like the layers on a cake, I suppose. One layer is one world, and then the next layer is another, with the frosting between. In some cases, the frosting is a void, where things are sent off to expire. In other cases, the frosting can be made into a separate world, like the Twilight Realm, if done... if done the right way."

"Fascinating," Ganon said in dry irritation, "but what does that have to do with-"

"I'm getting there. Don't interrupt," she shot back. "How many times have you seen me, Ganon?"

The former king grimaced.

"More times than I care to count," he grumbled.

"Do you remember killing me?"

He jolted, and Link drew in a sharp breath.

"You do, don't you? But at the same time, you don't. The first time you _ever_ saw me here was when I was training with Impa in the skills of a Sheikah. I remember the day because you stared at me for at least an hour, and I could _feel_ the ire saturating the air. And then there was the fact that I stood behind a little blond boy and the Princess when you were called out. You _don't_ remember throwing a little half-Hylian child out of the desert, or the fight against her and the Hero of Time."

Ganon's mouth opened, then closed, making him do a fairly decent impression of a fish. Raiha nodded a little, a resigned expression on her face. After a moment she turned to Link.

"A long time ago, Ganon here made a deal with a spirit for power," she told Link, who looked both horrified and somewhat fascinated. "To that end it damaged the Gerudo reputation beyond recovery, and resulted in the breaking apart of the Triforce. The Hero of Time eventually rescued seven Sages, and the princess, then fought a battle with the great beast Ganon became, because he is a sore loser."

Ganon scowled at her, and she smirked a little. The smirk faded as pain replaced sharp humor.

"That was when he killed me. Because I moved to protect... my friend." After a moment she shook her head. "No, I moved to protect the person I loved. The Hero of that time and that world. But I didn't die in vain, and between myself and Zelda, we held the Demon King long enough for Link to introduce him face first to the Master Sword.

"It wasn't enough to kill him, but it gave the Sages the time to kick him into the void between realms, where he is, theoretically, trapped until the seal breaks."

"I... yes and... no," Ganon said slowly. "It's hard to keep memory straight after so long. I... remember the shade ordering you to be thrown out... but also the shade throwing kids who didn't fit the mold into the desert... You _are_ a constant though." A pause. "I do recall fairly clearly how you looked when you came racing up the stairs in Arbiter's Grounds..."

"I was trying to stop them. You weren't meant to be punished like _that_, or sent through my Mirror. I had a strict plan... but the king dismissed my words, and my attempts at intervening were far too late."

"Were you trying to build up good will?" he asked, his tone mocking.

Raiha snorted a little, and started working on the rest of her hair.

"Hardly. I was trying to save the world. I was _trying_," and her voice turned bitter, "to fulfill my mandate."

The bitterness silenced him, and allowed her a moment to consider the memory issue. It was hardly surprising; he'd lived some decades longer than she had, and mortal memory was fallible. And only the goddesses knew how many lives he'd lived, and how often the shade had gotten him killed. Rebirth, she'd learned, wreaked havoc on memories.

"Getting back to the tale, Zelda returned us to what she thought was our original time, but not only did I take a detour, something... got skewed. Where I was, there was no Arbiter's Ground, it was the Spirit Temple. And there was a Gerudo compound just beyond the bridge. The lake here is lower, and farther away..."

Raiha sighed a little.

"I could list all the incorrect details, but that's just depressing. The oddest part I thought, was that the Hero arrived before _his_ betrayal," and she pointed at Ganon, who jumped a little, having been caught up in the story, "but he still had a piece of the Triforce. Still _has_ in point of fact."

Link glanced up at the foreboding redhead, who looked down at the back of his right hand.

"I... don't know how it got there," Ganon admitted slowly, a startled frown on his face as conflicting memories tried to insist it had always been there... but at the same time, it had just appeared shortly before he'd been caught. "I just knew it was there, the moment it appeared. And the shade knew how to use it..."

"The shade knew how to _bludgeon_ with it, you mean," Raiha snorted. "Power can be far more subtle than you, or it, thinks. In any case, he was sent to the Twili Realm through my biggest mistake in pretty much ever, and I am so glad it's broken now. He then broke out later, using someone else as a ferry, and proceeded to wreak more havoc, but that's sort of par for course with him..."

There was a pause while she flipped her hair back over her shoulder; both young men exchanged a confused look. Raiha sighed again.

"Yes, I made that stupid mirror. I even made the sage constructs. Useless things that they were. I told you, I took a detour. Unfortunately, by the time I figured out just how much of one, I had already meddled too much in this world to be able to go anywhere else. This isn't the only world where I could... do what I was told, but this is where it starts, I think."

"...what do you have to do?"

Raiha was quiet for a moment, amber eyes darkening with painful memories.

"In my ignorance, the Triforce was shattered," she finally said. "In my youth, I failed to realize what I could do with it. Because of that, I'm supposed to put it back together. What comes after..." She shook her head a little. "I don't know. The last time I got the chance was the Twilight Debacle, and I learned then that you can't take the Triforce piece from an unwilling person. It has to be given freely."

Reflexively, Ganon covered his right hand. Raiha rolled her eyes a little.

"Stupid," she said irritably. "If I could cut off your hand and just take it, I'd have it already. The mark on your hand is a conduit for the piece, which is anchored to your soul."

"So... if why do you have to bring it back together?" Link asked, rubbing his head a little.

"Well, it broke on my watch, mostly. But also, bad things tend to happen to a land where a Triforce is split. Buried under a never-ending rain, until it's nothing more than a new ocean, enemies messing around in time and with the natural flow of seasons...And the slow loss of magic from the world."

Raiha went quiet, then moved to change out of the golden gown and into her regular clothes and armor.

"But... you've always been really good at magic, Lady Raiha," Link said after a moment. "And what you just did..."

He blushed and turned away as she pulled the dress off. Ganon stared for a moment, then hastily turned away as well.

"That's _me_, though," she said, her voice muffled as she pulled on clean and dry clothes. The gown puffed away into motes of light after being set down, making her smile just a little bit. "Because I _haven't_ gone through the endless, repetitive cycle of rebirth like you and Zelda, I still have all the magic I was initially born and made with. But there used to be many others who could also tap magic. The Sheikah could, and it served them well in their bid to protect the Royal family. Various iterations of you, and Zelda, were proficient enough with magic in the past, though it was more the ambient magic of the world more than any inborn power. And Gerudo also have a talent with it, if a lack of refinement at times..."

Ganon snorted a little, not sure if he was insulted or complimented.

"What I've got is... different," she said, pulling her chainmail on and settling it with absent gestures. "It's hard to explain. Let's just go with I can do magic, and I can teach magic, and those are the skills we're going to need if we're going to survive this."

She felt better dressed in her usual outfit, and Link turned back to study her uncertainly as she pulled a golden-brown tunic over her head, then fastened a sword belt around her waist. She looked... tired. And grim. Resolved to do whatever thing it was that she had to do, no matter the cost to herself.

"Is that enough information?"

"Why the grimoire?" Ganon asked.

She shook her head.

"My memory, as I said, is as fallible as any other mortal. We're not _built_ to live... as long as I have. Memories fade over time, until they're nothing more than vagueries, and sometimes things are meant to be remembered, even if the things recalled didn't happen in _this_ world. I put down important spells in the grimoire because I knew I'd eventually forget them. They're not the little magics I can do with these," and she pulled out the three spell-crystals, letting dim blue, green and red light hover fro a moment before she put them away, "the spells in the book are things I worked years at, and are big magics that can do... interesting things."

"Interesting how?"

"Interesting as in, if the shade ever managed to open the book and get at them, I would be dead, interesting." A pause. "Well... not quite dead, but severely under-powered. And no, I'm not teaching you _anything_ like that. So get that expectant look off your face."

Ganon sighed a little mockingly. To his surprise it got a hint of a quick smile from the woman.

"Could I do magic?" Link asked hesitantly. "You've been teaching me weapons work for a while..."

"I..." She paused and studied him for a moment. "Unfortunately kiddo, I don't think so. You have an intensely inherent skill with weapons, but with the decrease in ambient magic over the centuries, you'd barely be able to handle the magic I could teach. The only reason Red over here even has a remote chance is because the shade kept him in a form of suspended animation, and he's never _really_ died."

"...sure felt like I did a couple times," he muttered, rubbing his chest absently.

Raiha just smirked.

"In any case, we can try, but don't get your hopes up too high. All right?"

Link nodded a little.

"Is that enough for you both? Because if it is, we're leaving early tomorrow, and we're going to need some sleep before then."

Link nodded, but Ganon frowned a little, then flicked his eyes towards the door. Raiha sighed a little. She really just wanted to eat and sleep, but obviously Ganon wasn't going to let some things go.

"I'm going downstairs to get a bite from the kitchen. I'm _starving._ Link, are you gonna sleep in your old room, or up here?"

"Ah, mine... I'll pack up my stuff, though."

"All right. Remember, I want to be out of here _early, _meaning before ten at the latest; we're going to need all the help we can get."

Link nodded, and vacated the room. Raiha stood up slowly, and headed for the door herself.

"Use old Hylian if you want a private conversation," she said, switching over into the language herself. "It's changed so much that he won't understand. And while he might not like being closed out of the conversation, there are some things he shouldn't know. Not yet."

"Fine," Ganon said, following her, and obligingly sliding into the old tongue. "Are you going to answer me honestly?"

"I'm always honest. You probably won't like what I say."

He just groaned a little. Of course she was going to be like that. He trailed her down into the kitchen, where she raided the cooling pot of soup for food, and the coldbox for some bread and cheese. He could also hear Link moving around beyond the kitchen, no doubt packing up like he'd said.

"Are you going to ask anything,or are you just going to stare?" Raiha said wearily. "Because I am exhausted, and I ache like there's no tomorrow."

He blinked at her.

"You're admitting vulnerability?"

"If it makes you ask your damn questions so I can get to sleep faster, then yes," she snapped.

"Eesh, touchy. How do you know that about the Triforce?"

"Be more specific."

"Giving it voluntarily."

Raiha rolled her eyes a little.

"Considering the Twilight Debacle, that shouldn't be hard to figure out. Also, I experimented later with Link, borrowing his Triforce piece with permission. I've also borrowed Zelda's before. Getting it now is going to be tricky..."

"The shade _owns_ her by now," he snorted, pacing a bit restlessly. "You're not getting it without a fight."

Raiha chuckled slightly. Ganon stopped and studied her warily.

"What?"

"The shade is an interloper, a controller, and a prison-maker, but it is _not_ a Triforce piece owner," she said with a smirk. "Theoretically, if I'd been able to convince you to trust me before the shade had its hands on you, I might've been able to convince you to give it over,and the shade would have zero say in the matter. The pieces are bound to the soul of the wielder. The shade can only take the body."

He stared at her.

"_How_ do you know these things?" he demanded.

"I told you; Zelda let me borrow her Triforce piece. Wisdom is fascinating, if a bit overwhelming at times. I have a great deal of esoteric knowledge because of it. There's a _reason_ I wrote the grimoire, Ganon," she said with a faint sigh at his shock. "And yes, I did consider keeping the pieces, or storing them in the Temple of Time, or even in the Sacred Realm. But until Power came back into play, hiding them away would just make for trouble I didn't want or need."

"What else do you know?"

"You mean what else do I know that I'm not telling you?" she smirked. "Plenty. But if were going to play the question game, I get to ask some too. After all, you _should_ know how the shade's mind works. And we are going to need to know our enemy before this is all said and done."

"Aren't you the one that said once it acclimatized to Wisdom that it would be worse?" he asked irritably.

"Mmhm. Which is why I don't intend to give it the chance to get that way. We are going to move fast, and we are going to get many things from one place," she sighed quietly. "And if that means sacrificing some things well, it's not the first time I've been forced to make this choice. I'll prioritize the rest of the world over... over personal obligations."

He was quiet, watching her curiously. That was vulnerability he hadn't expected, and honesty he hadn't thought to be granted.

"How many times have you fought this?" he finally asked as she got up to fetch another bowl. "Always trying to get all the pieces and never succeeding?"

"Longer than I can really remember," she sighed. "I even know how all of this started, and it's a fairly straightforward, if wearying, story. So excuse me if I'm not interested in telling it."

He snorted a little, amused despite himself.

"I'm guessing one of the things you want to ask is if I can keep the shade from taking you over again," she said eying him absently. "The short answer is yes. The long answer is yes, but I need to be in the Temple of Time first. It has useful tools that will make the magic easier to cast."

He blinked. Repeatedly. Rapidly. And then sank onto a stool with exaggerated care.

"Yes, yes, I know." She waved off any comment before he could make it. "I'm being nice, and forthcoming instead of angry and untrusting. Anger is exhausting to maintain, and while I still don't know how _much_ I can trust you, I can certainly see the benefit in both training you how to use _that_," and she pointed at the bared Triforce mark on his hand, "and in making sure the shade can't seep into your mind again. For the _moment_, I have a cobbled-together spell that's doing what needs to be done, but it'll wear off in a couple more days. Which was why I wanted you in the Deku Tree's clearing. The saturation of power there confuses everyone not used to it."

"And you think the shade wouldn't be?"

She was quiet for a minute, then sighed.

"Honestly, I don't know. It figures. The one thing I don't have any contingency plans for comes to pass, so I'm making things up as I go along."

Ganon snorted a little.

"Well, you're not terrible at it," he said grudgingly.

"Thanks," she said dryly.

The sounds from beyond the curtain had ceased, indicating to Raiha that Link had gone to bed. She wondered if he'd sleep, or if he'd been excited and eager to start in the morning, and toss for a few hours in his bed before finally dozing off. After a moment she mentally shrugged and pushed the thought out of her mind; she needed to finish replenishing her own energy, and doing that involved getting some sleep of her own.

"If you're done with the questions, it's time to rest," she said, getting up to wash her used dishes and put away the food so that it wouldn't spoil. "Morning is going to come far sooner than you expect."

Ganon snorted, then shrugged and headed out of the kitchen and up the stairs. But instead of going into the room he'd rented specifically, he opened the door to one of the other unoccupied rooms; he didn't intend to close his eyes in the same area as her, not for a while.

Raiha finished her clean up in weary silence, pleased to be alone with her thoughts at last. The Gorons had locked and braced the gate to the east after she had come through, and would only open them at her word now, courtesy of their Elders' commands. Thus far there had been no trouble in the mines, though the mountain did seem to be growling dangerously every now and again.

She tiredly trudged up to the rented room, and fell into the bed, surrendering to the darkness of a much needed sleep.


	7. Six

Six

Morning came entirely too soon for all of them; Raiha had slept deepest, but could have used another twelve or so hours, Link had tossed and turned not excited but anxious, and while Ganon had slept, he had woken several times due to nightmares.

So really, none of them were terribly functional when they got up, but all three of them _were_ up. Link worked on making them all food and tea; Raiha and Ganon drained two teapots between them before they started approaching awake enough to sit on a horse.

There wasn't much discussion to be had, really. Ganon went out to get the clothing he'd bought and had altered to fit him, while Link went out to get some traveling food that _wasn't_ from the inn, and Raiha went to talk to the Goron stationed at the base of the mountain.

"No lady," the Goron shook his head slowly. "No word of unrest in the mines. The mountain is angry and spitting stone, but there are no dragons, and no dangerous things."

"Good. Just be sure to take care. If something happens, let Gerti know, even if the humans can't help. You've been allies and friends too long now to withdraw completely. Again."

The Goron was not old enough to remember the whole thing with the Fused Shadows—another mistake she should never have made—but he nodded sheepishly. Raiha nodded lightly as well, and went to find herself a horse.

Singer, unfortunately, had perished not far from the gate, trying to get her mistress to safety. Raiha had managed to get her saddlebags and stuff behind the gate, which was how she'd been so badly injured, but her horse was still out there. It made her heart ache; no matter how many times a horse died, either of old age or in battle, it still hurt. And Singer had definitely not been bred for fighting, which just made it worse.

She sighed a little, and shook her head. She could call up new horses, yes, but it wasn't the same. It looked like they might well be _walking_ to Faron province, and that would take more time than she liked. But what other choice was there? She wasn't willing to risk the plains yet, so the back way to Faron it was going to have to be at this rate.

"It figures," she muttered, going through the saddlebags she'd retrieved from the gatekeeping Gorons. "The one thing I don't anticipate. No plans for something like this at all..."

It was both frustrating, and oddly freeing. And admittedly, Ganon wasn't turning out all that terrible. Annoying, sure, and he was probably bound to have his head up his ass about some things in the future, but... not terrible. And he still had the Triforce of Power on him, which was the biggest bonus she could think of, really. If he could be taught how to use it properly, then they might actually gain some small advantage.

She sighed a little, and started arming up. On the plains, even the back way, they were going to need weapons. It was a good thing her habit of caching items in every safe location she could come up with _was_ a habit.

It was almost noon by the time they left, and they were all outfitted as best they could be under the circumstances. Raiha had renewed the spells on her pouches and small bags that would carry items no matter the size and weight, and they were all wearing several. It was less bulky than wearing an oversized pack each, especially considering the fact that there would undoubtedly be fighting on the way. It would be easier to have everything _out_ of the way in that case.

Link had a sword that was of Ordonian make, and a Hylian shield that Raiha had stowed away after his previous incarnation's passing, while Ganon had to make do with the spare weapons that were admittedly a bit _small_ to him. Of the three of them, he was also the only one without armor, due once again to his size.

For the first day there wasn't much talk. Raiha seemed lost in thought, and neither male was willing to interrupt her for the moment; Link from respect, and Ganon from curiosity at what she might come up with. While the shade had gone out of its way only once to try and prevent her from helping, it had been almost accidental. The Light Spirits had been in the way of Zant, the puppet in use at the time, and their connection as extra power for her hadn't been obvious until Zant had cursed Link into wolf shape. The shade hadn't even seemed to recognize it as a useful tactic!

But now that he was thinking on it, as blurred as his memories were with one another, he recalled the number of times she'd been at the side of the hero. Never ahead of him, never taking it on alone, as her experience would have allowed her, but at his side, coaxing and occasionally yelling.

Ganon mulled over this; she had said she wasn't a hero. But it seemed more and more than she was, and was just letting others take the credit. Why?

Raiha's path, while seeming absent, was a good one, that skirted the worst of the corruption in the field. It seemed most of it had congregated in the middle, and she was keen to avoid fighting that would slow them down. Especially since it was going to take them two more days, even walking at the speed they were, just to get to the Faron province.

Making camp that first night was an involved affair. As the sky had finally cleared up, Ganon and Link only set up a windbreak instead of the individual tents they had. It had, admittedly, surprised Ganon to hear the kid say it was so they could have more warning and react faster if it came to a fight, but catching the faintly pleased expression from Raiha, the former king presumed that had been one of the lessons she'd taught him.

Raiha herself lit a small, fire that was mostly magic until the wood dried enough to catch properly, and set up a collapsible pot and tripod into which she dumped some water and dried food that would take sometime to cool properly.

"We're going to have to do some training," she said abruptly, looking at both men speculatively. "Link, you can't slack with the sword skills, and I know this one is balanced differently from the wooden practice blades we've used until now. You need to get used to live steel. And you, Red, need to learn some practical magic, especially something defensive."

Ganon blinked at being called 'Red' and Link shifted a little uneasily.

"Lady-"

"If you're worried about hurting me, don't," she said with a snort and a crooked smile. "One, I'm armored, and two, I'm your _teacher_. If I don't know how you move after all these years, I'll eat my own hair."

"You're going to willingly teach me magic?" Ganon asked cautiously.

"At the moment, you have no armor. As amusing as you getting your ass handed to you would _be_, I'd rather you not die. We're starting on defense and something you need to learn; _control_."

Ire flickered through him, and he scowled at her.

"I know plenty of control," he grumped.

"No, no you don't. Not the type I'm talking about," she retorted. "I can _feel_ your magic spiking with your temper, and if I can feel it, without trying? So can a lot of other creatures."

"Well _good_," he snapped peevishly.

"_Not_ good." Raiha sighed, and ran a hand over her face. "Not unless you feel like getting dogpiled by ambushes and other such nonsense because something senses your power and either wants to _take_ it, or kill you because of how much you _have_. Fear makes people do stupid things, and I'm fairly sure whatever's on this plain can't really be counted as 'people' any longer. Or even really intelligent. If they sense you, they're going to come after you, and us by extension."

He set his jaw stubbornly and she groaned a little.

"Okay, look. You know I have power. I just lit the fire, after all. Can you feel it right now?"

"Y-" Ganon stopped. Thought about it. Then grumbled, "...no."

"No. I'm not exuding power right now because I've learned how to not. Also, I'm a big proponent of stealth. _You_ are lit up like a beacon, no thanks to your Triforce piece, and could be tracked easily by someone who knows what they're looking for. So. You need to learn control, and defense. Starting with this."

And she tossed him a small crystal that glowed faintly blue. Startled, he snatched it out of the air on reflex alone, making her nod a little.

"Well, at least your reflexes aren't terrible. That's an old spell, a shield called Nayru's Love."

Ganon made a face, and was gifted with a laugh.

"I know, I know. I didn't name it. I have, however, learned all I can from it. I don't need the crystal any more, so you can have it. Your first step in defensive casting is putting enough power into that to activate the first stage of the spell, _without_ overloading it and getting smacked by the backlash. Have fun. Kid, c'mon."

Link stood obediently, and Ganon stared at her.

"You think I can't do it in one try," he protested, insulted.

"Oh, believe me. You can't~"

Raiha's smirk was knowing, and she motioned for Link to follow her a little ways away from the fire. Ganon scowled at her back, then looked down at the tiny blue crystal in his hands.

"No control," her growled. "I'll show _her_ no control!"

He quickly found the power node for activating the spell and shoved magic into it angrily. The backlash neatly knocked him onto his back, where he stared up at the sky in a dazed manner for several minutes. Then he picked himself up and tried again.

Link hesitantly took up his typical practice stance, and had to admit that Raiha was correct; the metal blade felt different from the wooden ones he'd used, or the spear he'd been training on.

"Just go through the basics until you're used to it," she said. "And don't forget your shield as well. You're going to need it before this nonsense is done and over with."

He moved slowly through the steps of several practice moves, growing quickly accustomed to the weight.

"Why did you... say that to Ganon?" he asked after a minute.

"You mean why did I deliberately bait him?"

"...yeah."

"Two reasons. One, I still don't like him, and the feeling is _very_ mutual. I don't know that we'll ever honestly get along. Baiting him amuses me, considering he reacts like a spoiled child. _But_ I don't really feel like letting him die either, as I explained. Without armor, he's going to be the vulnerable one, and he isn't going to be able to find anything to fit until I send you up to the Occa city for his things. Two," she grinned a little. "Pissing him off makes him want to prove me _wrong._ He needs to learn control, badly. Even if I've made it so that the shade can't scry or track him, if it's _smart_, it'll use someone else as its eyes and ears. Gan's power signature is distinctive. He need to learn how to mask it. Otherwise, we'll be facing ambushes and boobytraps, and I'd really like for this to be a _little_ more simple than it was in the past."

"Oh..." Link frowned a little. "Why can't you just tell him that?"

"Because he doesn't trust me the way you do. We've been enemies far longer than we've worked together. Giving him a kick in the ass is both cathartic, and necessary. We're going to _have_ to learn to trust each other, I know, but that may take more time than we've got at the moment. I can't... afford to take my time and be nice."

He pondered that, pausing in his warm ups to scratch his head.

"...oh what?" Raiha asked wryly, watching him closely.

"Just..." Link shrugged a little, feeling sheepishly uncertain. "I don't know."

"Uh huh. Ready?"

"...if I say no, are you going to attack anyways?"

Raiha laughed, and did just that. Link squawked and backpedaled quickly; despite her assurances, he wasn't willing to attack her with live steel.

"_Defend_ yourself," she snorted, testing his guard with quick jabs. "Don't hide behind your shield or I'll take it away from you!"

He yelped as she moved to do just that, and dodged on reflex, flowing immediately into a counter attack that made her grin fiercely, even as she ghosted around it.

"Better! Watch your feet, you're overextending!"

It was mesmerizing to watch her do sword work, but the problem with that was getting too absorbed in watching usually led to him landing on his ass. She wasn't gentle about it either. When she finally called a halt for food, he felt like he'd ridden in a barrel full of rocks down Zora's River, but she _seemed_ fairly pleased. The hand that helped him up was warm, and her expression was amused.

"You'll do. Come on, let's eat and see how Ganon's doing, hm?"

He nodded, and let her help him up.

Ganon was glaring at the crystal by the time they returned to camp,and he instantly scowled at her when she reached the firelight circle. Link edged around the confrontation to get his food; he was definitely not getting involved in this. As Raiha had already said, he didn't seem to have a magical bone in his body.

"All right. There's a trick to this," Ganon grumped. "What is it?"

"It's called 'control' and it's not a trick, it's a lesson," she said equably, her smirk belying the coolness in her tone. "If you throw power into it, you're not going to get it."

Ganon only glared at her, which prompted Raiha to shrug.

"Look, take a break, eat, and I'll show you what I mean."

"Oh, you _will_?"

"Only to keep you from lighting up the plains for the next three or so days."

He huffed, and stomped for the food. Raiha found herself grinning, and feeling far more energetic than she had in a long while. Maybe it was the threat that she didn't anticipate, maybe it was the new dynamic of the neither-friend-nor-enemy that was Ganon; either way, she was having fun. Strange how it could happen in the middle of something that would reshape the world, but at the same time... it was nice.

Ganon grumbled over the stew, which was not actually terrible. It wasn't extremely flavorful either, but for a basic travel stew it wasn't bad. Raiha proceeded to ignore him, savoring her own food quietly. Link had another bowl, then pulled his sword out to carefully go over it and make sure any nicks and dings wouldn't compromise the integrity of the blade.

Raiha hid a proud smile; no point in fawning over Link when she still had to teach Ganon. Rivalry was all well and good, but it would be far too easy to encourage these boys to hate one another, and that was definitely something worth avoiding. So when Ganon finished his second bowl, and she her third—she was hungry, and hosting magic required plenty of food—she moved over to the other redhead, and summoned the crystal, making him squawk in protest.

She studied it thoughtfully, and chuckled a little.

"Brute force is not going to get you a shield," she pointed out, ignoring his sour look. "You treat your power like it's a bludgeon, to be thrown at anything in your way. With the triforce piece you've got, you have a_ lot_ of power. But magic is still finite, and you can still run out if you're not careful. And if you rely on the triforce piece as your backup, you'll be in for a world of hurt. Useful they might be, but separated, applied to the restrictions of the world, they are not infallible."

"How do you know?" he grumbled.

"Simple. I borrowed Zelda's, in a time when there was no danger in doing so. I needed the knowledge." She paused briefly in thought. "In retrospect, it was a good idea, I just executed it poorly. I think I was unconscious for a month, and then spent two weeks with the worst headache imaginable. Not fun. Worth it, in the end, but not at _all_ fun."

He stared at her. Raiha shrugged.

"I never claimed to be all knowing. I'm still not. In any case, you either don't realize, or have forgotten, that your power is part of you. It comes _from_ you, and flows through you like the desert winds in the Gerudo Valley."

She preferred to use water as imagery for herself, considering how much of her life had flowed and changed, never being the same moment twice like the rivers. Perhaps it was part of why she loved the Zora people so much; arrogant at times, yes, but they knew also how to adapt to the changes in the river, and how to read them.

Ganon, however, was born of the desert. The hot sands and strong winds were part of him, much more than they were part of her. Maybe part of that was because of how she'd been thrown out, or maybe it was simply a consequence of how her life had changed, but where she reflected the water, and loved it with a delight that could not ever be disguised, Ganon was the sands and the hot desert air, the strength of the wind and the sting of sand that could find its way into even the tiniest crack at full blast.

"What you need to remember is that you are in charge of this wind," she continued. "It's not impossible to direct it into the path you want it to go in, as opposed to letting it flow where it wills."

Her voice took on a tone Link recognized as her teaching tone, the one he got most often when she was walking him through a new exercise. He couldn't help but sit up and take notice, even if he couldn't precisely do the same things they could.

Ganon wanted to be annoyed, but had to admit that it had been a _very_ long time since he'd had conscious control of his own power, and it had been even longer since his two mothers had been around to teach him, and half the time he wasn't even sure if that was where he had first learned the magic.

So he sat, and let himself be entranced by the hypnotic cadence of Raiha's voice as she explained this thing known as control. And slowly, he started to understand what she was saying, as her words reverberated in his mind, unlocking old memories of Koume and Kotake as they instructed him in the ways of ancient Gerudo magic.

Not that it seemed to help much. Try as he might to get his magic to flow as _he_ wanted it, he still ended up on his back, no magical shield to speak of. Eventually, annoyed and disgruntled, he tossed the crystal away and stomped over to his bedroll.

"Wake me in a few hours," he gumped over his shoulder. "I'll-"

There was a faint shimmer, a dome that covered the camp silently, He spun in alarm, groping for his sword, only to see Raiha standing there, blue crystal in her hand. It pulsed softly, flared once, and then she closed her fingers around it, and it vanished. The protective dome, however, stayed put.

"I though you said you _didn't_ want to advertise our presence!" he yelped.

Link just stared in fascinated silence as the dome pulsed silently, reminding him of a heartbeat. Raiha rolled her eyes a little.

"This won't. If you take the spell and expand it outwards in the specific manner I did, it becomes a lot like a soap bubble. Fragile and easy to pop. It pops _very_ loudly, mind you."

"So...it's a warning, not a shield?" Link ventured after a moment.

She nodded,then gestured lightly.

"We three cannot afford to be at anything but our best," she said emphatically. "Which means we can't waste time on watch schedules. Now, I could be stoic and tell you I'll take all the watches, but frankly, sleep deprivation sucks, and I need to recharge too. This is the next best option. Now. Get some sleep. We have a long way to go."

Ganon wasn't entirely convinced, but Link nodded after a moment, still watching the shield in fascination. Raiha yawned, and went to flop into her bedroll, followed by Link, who continued watching the spell until the rhythm of it put him to sleep.

Ganon laid down, and was still for a while, then propped himself up on his elbows.

"Doesn't this," and he gestured up towards the shield, "drain you?"

Raiha was silent for a minute, more surprised than anything else. That had almost sounded like he _cared..._

"Not really," she said after a moment, picking her words cautiously. "I have ways of substituting one sort of power for another. What this draws on won't drain me any, and in the morning we'll see if any bits of the lecture on control seeped into your subconscious. Go to sleep Red."

He snorted a little and laid back down, though like Link, he stared upwards at the pulsing, barely visible barrier until it lulled him to sleep.


	8. Seven

Seven

They passed most of the journey to Faron in a similar manner. Raiha led them along the edges of the field doing her best to avoid drawing down the attention of the creatures that had formed on the plains during the day. At night she alternated between teaching Ganon the finer points of control—something he was admittedly slow to grasp, even when stung by her mockery and his own pride—and teaching Link advanced sword techniques.

Ganon watched the sword lessons sometimes, but rarely joined in. The blade Raiha had loaned him just didn't _feel_ right in his hands, and he had to admit that if they ever got caught in combat, he was much more likely to resort to blasting out a spell instead of using a weapon. In the same manner, Link often watched the magic lessons, possibly absorbing more than Ganon at times, even if he couldn't actually cast any of the spells.

They also ended up participating in meditation sessions. For Link, this generally meant sitting, breathing, and counting, and relaxing bit by bit. Generally by the time it rolled around, Ganon was too worn out to do anything else, and he was surprised at the exercises Raiha had them both doing. When he asked, she told him that mental flexibility was a thing, and he was just going to have to learn it if he wanted to survive.

Which ended that bit of civility, really. But he still participated in the meditation because he found that it _was_ enhancing his ability to control his magic.

When the finally reached Faron province a week later, Ganon had finally managed to activate the shield spell, though it had been mostly out of surprise than anything else. They had been ambushed at the end of the path, and the moblins had both jumped at him. They'd all been caught by surprise—Raiha had been in the middle of explaining _how_ she modified the spells, which was a highly technical discussion—and he'd reacted without thinking to the threat, pushing magic into the crystal with a mind to keep from getting killed.

Well, it had worked, and the moblins had looked pretty shocked when their hits didn't harm anyone. Raiha's grin had turned fierce, and between the three of them, the moblins had been dealt with in short order.

Ganon wasn't sure whether he ought to proud or annoyed. On the one hand, the spell had worked, just as Raiha had told him it would. On the other hand, he wasn't entirely sure he could recreate it. He just wasn't _oriented_ for defense. But Raiha had said point blank that he wasn't getting Din's Fire until he could activate Nayru's Love successfully, more than once. Implied in her words was the idea that he'd not only have to activate the spell, but hold it in place for a while. Annoying.

Raiha was vaguely miffed, but also somewhat amused. Being taken by surprise was annoying as all get out, to be sure, but Ganon's face when he'd reacted not in offense, but defense, had been well worth it. True he had almost immediately shorted the spell out after, trying to cast three things at once, but it wasn't bad for a start. She wondered absently if there would be more time, if she could teach him more things. He wasn't _stupid_, after all... it had just been a very long time since he'd been in charge of his magic and himself.

The walk through Faron Woods was fairly quiet, all things considered. It had been shielded successfully by the light spirit, after all, so the worst they had to face was a few wild-growing Deku Baba, and those had always been easy enough to defeat, if annoying prolific at times.

When they reached the clearing with the giant tree, Link paused for a minute to stare up at it, feeling an odd wave of nostalgia flicker through him. Raiha smiled faintly, sadly.

"Old tree," Ganon commented, squinting up a little. "Isn't that..?"

"At one point, yeah, it was. But that was a long time ago." Raiha shrugged lightly. "It's still alive in a sense. There's other creatures that live among the branches, and beyond it. But there's not enough magic for a new one, let alone the revival of the Eldest."

Link felt a shiver travel down his spine, and gave himself a little shake, making Raiha chuckle faintly.

"C'mon boys, we're not there yet. There's still a ways to go."

"Where _are_ we going?" Ganon asked.

"You'll see."

"...I _hate_ that answer."

Raiha smirked.

"I know."

As Ganon glared, she reached out and tapped Link on the arm, making him jump a little and blink at her in surprise.

"This way," she gestured lightly. "It took some doing to rebuild this path after the quake a couple centuries back, but it should still be in decent repair."

It was a _long_ way down, but the slats of the hanging bridge were bound tightly together, and the ropes well woven. Ganon jumped when he touched one; the spark of the magic put there was strong.

"Did _you_ do this?" he asked.

"Build it, no. Preserve it, yes. Just because I have an easy way in doesn't mean others can follow me like that. They, you, need a physical path. I wanted something that wasn't going to rapidly deteriorate, but getting stone this far was too expensive, and too labor intensive. So I made do with wood, rope, and magic. It's actually Faron who keeps the spell going, though. As long as Faron is around, so will this bridge be," and she chuckled faintly. "It's been called Faron's Bridge for almost a century now, and no one really knows why any longer. Very few actually see the Spirits these days."

Ganon nodded a little, thoughtfully. It was interesting really, the way she alluded to being able to do great things, but at the same time needing the help of the Light Spirits to survive those things. Spirits she had, or so she claimed, created. By logic's sense, she ought to have drawn the Triforce of Power into her all those centuries ago.

Maybe there really _was_ something to her explanation about balance.

The clearing they reached was shrouded in green gloom, and bordered on most sides by stone, not trees. The stone was covered by layers of moss and vines, some of which had flowers blooming in shades of gold, red, and blue. The only opening to be seen was the one they'd stepped through.

"...this is it?" Ganon asked, feeling annoyed.

"This is the entrance. Which I'll open for you. This is also where I'll leave you for a bit," Raiha replied.

Link nodded a little, having expected something like this. Ganon sputtered in surprise. Raiha just snorted.

"Did you think I was going to walk you through it?" She asked dryly. "No. This is part of the quest, it's part of the _challenge_. You have to be worthy, and you must be ready. _Both_ of you. Right now, whatever feelings holding this group together are tenuous at best. So, we're going to remove an element, and I'm going to see how well you two work together."

"Why?" Ganon demanded.

"Because at some point, you might have to."

Link winced a little, unnerved by the thought of Raiha _not_ being around in a time of dire need. Ganon looked unconvinced. Raiha just smiled wryly.

"Also because if I go in with you, there's a good chance my guardian will over-compensate the trials. I'd kind of like the pair of you to survive, so once I open the way, I'll be going ahead, and you'll have to find the path on your own."

"Over-compensate? Guardian?!"

Raiha's grin turned sharp.

"Now now, I'm not going to tell you _all_ my secrets."

The former king grumbled dourly under his breath. Link, hearing a couple of the words, didn't know whether to be sympathetically amused, or a bit irritated that he could say such things about the lady. Raiha didn't seem to care, she just moved to a spot between two semi-collapsed pillars and pulled out the Ocarina of Time.

The haunting notes of an ancient lullaby slid through the forest, triggering old spells and aligning them just so. The wall Raiha stood before melted away, and a rush of cool forest air swept through the clearing. Link and Ganon both shivered in reflex. Raiha lowered the Ocarina briefly, then turned to face the two men.

"All right. The way is open. It's called the Lost Woods for a reason, so be careful. Do not attack the trees. Anything that comes at you is fair game but those trees are not."

"...so no marking the path by scoring the trees?" Link asked after a moment, a little hesitantly.

Raiha nodded.

"Use other ways of marking your trail. Good luck. I'll see you at the Temple."

She brought the Ocarina back to her lips and played the one transportation song that still worked; the Prelude of Light. Cheerful notes and music swirled around her, surrounding her in warmth and ancient magics that were almost entirely lost now, and whisked her away to the final destination of the boys. The Temple of Time.

Or really, what was left of it, on this side of the time doors. The Temple was a ruin now, but it had aged somewhat gracefully. The walls were covered in more moss and vines than the last time she'd been there for a sleep, but it still held the power, that semi-open door to the Sacred Realm anchoring the building in safety and security. She could relax here, could breathe and remember that things would not always be so dire.

She played a third song, to call her guardian; it didn't take long for him to reply, and she was enthusiastically hugged by the Skull Kid, who giggled and smelled of leaves and autumn air.

"I heard you, I heard you," he sang, cavorting around her once released from the hug. "Hero's guide, hero's friend, I heard you!"

"Okay, okay," she chuckled a little, and held up a hand. "Nayru's tears, but you get more excitable every time we meet."

"You should play with me more!" he proclaimed.

"I will, but not now, I'm afraid," she said gently. "Right now, there's a pair of men at the entrance to the Wood, working up the courage—or the arrogance—to come inside."

"Playmates?"

"No. They need to make it here. But you can lead them around in circles for a while, until they show signs of working together."

This was not the first time she'd asked the Skull Kid to do this, though it could be the last. She welcomed that thought silently, but didn't cling to it; there were still too many ways the formulating plan could go wrong, after all. Just because _she_ was impervious to death didn't mean either of them were.

"Ooooh, games!" the Skull Kid chortled gleefully. "Yes yes, I will play. Will we play?"

Raiha smiled faintly.

"Yes. We'll play later, I promise. But first, the boys."

The Skull Kid bounced happily, and pulled out the horn pipes, eagerly playing Saria's Song as he bounded away in a swirl of leaves and autumn air. Raiha played along, feeling the forest before her opening up and coming alive as the music reminded it of a time long ago, when the world had practically sung of magic.

After a few renditions, Raiha put the Ocarina away, and found a good patch of sunlight that was just the right size for her to stretch out in. Feeling meloncholic after the music, and the memories that swelled at the familiar spaces, she spent some time sitting and combing out her long hair Spreading it out under the renewed sunshine. At least here, in this one place, the rains of darkness had not fallen...

Eventually, the echoes of the bouncy forest song still playing in the air around her, she curled up, and allowed herself to drift into a deep, thankfully dreamless, sleep.

Link and Ganon both eyed the entrance to the Lost Woods with a certain amount of trepidation. They had both learned by this point that when Raiha set them a trial, a task, she was really quite serious about them seeing it through to the end. The fact that she wanted to see them working as a team was a little worrying; what would she be doing on her own that would require them to work together without her influence?

It galled the former Gerudo king a little to realize that she had something of a point. While he had grown to grudgingly respect and maybe even admire her a little, he was still entirely too used to Link being considered The Enemy. Seeing the boy armed up didn't really help, even though logically he knew that the blade was ordinary, and not the one that caused soul-searing agony. He still tended to expect to be stabbed in the back.

Link was feeling equally wary, even if he didn't fully understand the reasons for it; something about Ganon, even when Raiha was there beside him, made him uneasy. More than once it felt like it was _required_ to have his blade drawn, preparing for an attack that wasn't coming. A small part of him wondered if the reason for that was because of Raiha's mitigating presence, or if something else was at play.

After a moment, Ganon sighed a little.

"Doesn't her superior attitude about this _ever_ get on your nerves?"

"Superior?" Link blinked in confusion. "Lady Raiha knows what she's doing is all..."

Ganon snorted a little.

"Ah, I don't know why I bother," he grumbled, scowling a little at the giant trees. Damn things made him feel hemmed in. "She's had _you_ under her thumb for the whole of your life."

Link wanted to be offended, but had to admit that Ganon was actually correct; while she hadn't _formally_ started intervening in things until he was ten, old enough to start learning the sword, she'd always been there as a familiar figure, as a teacher at the least. While he would hesitate to say Raiha had him under her _thumb_, she was very good at knowing what to say, and how to say it, to get motivation.

So he just shrugged, and after a moment headed towards the opening in the stone wall. Ganon made an annoyed sound, but caught up easily. They walked through a long tunnel in silence for a few moments, and paused upon seeing the woods at the other end.

It wasn't randomly laid out as one might expect of a forest, no; this wood seemed to have the deliberate touch of someone upon it. It felt much older than even Raiha, so Ganon heavily doubted it was her hand. At least, not hers entirely. In a roundabout way it reminded him of... of a place that he was almost certain he knew, but at the same time he didn't. He wondered if this was another part of being stuck as part of that creature for so long, then brushed it off. Figuring it out would take more effort that he wanted to put elsewhere at the moment.

The air was thick with the feel of purity, of a type of magic that plainly didn't extend far beyond the original stone barrier that would lead a person into this place, assuming the correct key was given. He could hear water at a distance, a rarity in the desert, but entirely too common out in the lands of Hyrule itself, and contemplated the idea of finding his way to it on his own.

Link just stared around him in a mix of awe and deja vu. Something about this place, the feel of it, the smell of it, even the _sound_ of it was supremely familiar. Like he'd been there before, and not just the one time, no. This place was _familiar_ in the same way that Lady Raiha was familiar. In the same way meeting the Princess during his tour of the castle after first joining the guard had felt familiar.

A small part of him resented all the familiarity. Like most children, he'd sometimes dreamed of having grand adventures, most often with Raiha at his side. Also like most children, he'd never thought of how _dangerous_ adventures could be, despite the lady herself trying to hammer that point home by showing her various scars.

And now he was here, in a place he knew but didn't, with a man he knew, but didn't, and the lady had said they needed to find a way through together.

Link absently ran a hand through his hair in resigned annoyance; maybe Ganon had a point about the lady. And yet...

Ganon eyed the kid in raw amusement for a moment; whatever Raiha had tried teaching him, keeping his emotions off his face clearly wasn't one of them. It was almost enough to make him laugh. Link really was the kid that Raiha had nicknamed him, and the former king wondered what there was to reincarnation that made things like this happen. He was definitely going to have to ask her.

Which meant finding her first. And since he couldn't figure out just how to _track_ her, not when she cheated and used magic like that, it looked like it was going to be the hard way.

He cast a brief glance at Link again, mentally snorted, and headed into the pathways. Link made a faintly distressed yip and followed. If Ganon wasn't willing to try, well, Link was. Mostly because it was what the lady wanted, and she _always_ had good reasons, even if she rarely chose to share said reasons until _after_ everything was done.

This lesson was amplified by the fact that no sooner had they both set foot on the moss-covered paths than a half-dozen adult-sized marionettes appeared for the forest canopy and set to attacking them. While the windup was slow, it was enough of a surprise to both men that the six puppets managed to land six punches.

At which point Ganon lost his temper and shouted a spell that knocked them back among the surrounding trees. The trees very much did _not_ approve, and the next thing to hit the former king was a large, and weighty branch that made him sit down rather hard. Link winced in acute sympathy, even as he drew his sword at the sound of the puppets returning.

Destroying the puppets wasn't actually that _hard_, but getting attacked by all six at once was a challenge. The trees, while not inclined to throw their limbs at Link, were less circumspect with Ganon, and that made it harder for him to get up. He tried groping for the half-remembered words to a fire spell, but even the light singeing he managed didn't do much to aid him. If anything, it made the trees _more_ hostile.

"She said _don't_ touch the trees!" Link said over his shoulder as he swatted one puppet with his shield in an attempt to get some breathing room. "So stop trying to hurt them!"

"They're trying to hurt _me!_" Ganon shot back, finally managing to get to his feet. It had taken him three tries. "What the hells _else_ am I supposed to do?!"

To that, Link had no good answer. At least, not at first. The puppets weren't giving him a lot of space to breathe, only to react, and it wasn't until he managed to get his shield up that he was able to get the thought to form properly.

"The spell Lady Raiha's trying to teach you. Use it!"

Ganon spared a moment to give him an incredulous look.

"Are you _dense_, kid?"

"It's better than trying to break the trees!" was the retort. "Lady Raiha said don't for a reason, and you're just getting attacked _more_ by doing so!"

As much as he hated admitting to it, Ganon knew that Link had a point. Raiha _had_ said to not harm the trees, and now he understood _why_ she'd said it. But to pull out a defensive spell instead of offensive? That really did go against everything he was used to.

So, naturally, it took him several tries. Fortunately by the point he deigned to try, Link had managed to cut down all of the puppets, and could bring up his shield to block some of the branches that were trying to hit the larger male.

When the spell finally flowed into place, the trees backed off somewhat. But there was a feeling to the air, a subtle taste of anger now, that hadn't been there when they'd stepped in.

"Just great," Ganon muttered, rubbing the various forming bruises. "I'm never going to hear the end of this."

Link snorted a little, and gratefully slung his shield over his shoulder again, wincing a bit himself.

"See? Lady Raiha knows what she's doing."

Ganon just grunted irritably, and started walking again.

They had to fend off the puppets several more times before the path stopped going in circles. They hadn't spoken too much, but Ganon had done his best to not attack the trees again. It hadn't _always_ worked—he was a quick-tempered person, after all—but Link would certainly give him credit for trying.

And even as it was a bit unusual, a bit worrying, it was also sort of... _funny_ to see this tall, dark-skinned man get knocked onto his ass by tree roots. Or to see him punch a puppet so hard it shattered into fragments upon impact with stone walls. Or tree trunks, which just made the trees angry again.

The unspoken bonus was that Ganon was also getting practice with the shield spell, and as loathe as he was to admit it, was starting to get the hang of it.

They had caught sight of their tormentor only twice; a child-sized scarecrow-looking creature who played a familiar tune on a hornpipe. A long blast would summon the puppets, and then back to playing and dancing the creature would go. Ganon had chucked a tree branch at him the second time they'd seen him. Not the _wisest_ of moves, since that little monster had proceeded to summon a dozen of the puppets, but he had felt better for a moment.

Link's resigned sigh had made him feel the tiniest twinge of guilt, however. A hint of conscience that he normally would have ignored, save that the boy had been the one mostly fighting the puppets, and had earned a visible black eye for his pains, not to mention a series of various abrasions. The kid was good, _damn_ good with that sword—he had to be if Raiha had trained him—but he wasn't always the best at dodging.

But finally, _finally_, they seemed to have found their way to the center. The magic felt like it was getting thicker, in any case, and it held more than a touch of the familiar to the former desert king. The Temple of Time...

The clearing they stepped into wasn't the Templeof Time, however; but it did seem like a good resting place. Link and Ganon both listened hard for a minute, but hearing neither the tell-tale creak and clatter of puppets, nor the sound of a horn that played surprisingly cheery music, they flopped down onto the grass to catch their breath.

Link absently touched his black eye and winced. He wasn't sure if the lady would lecture or laugh, though he rather hoped it would be both. At least he wasn't alone in being injured, though Ganon's pride had made it harder to tell. But the larger man was walking with a subtle limp, and favoring his left arm. Not to mention the raging headache he probably had from dealing with all those trees.

They nursed their injuries in surprisingly companionable silence for a few minutes before the little forest creature showed up in the middle of the clearing, on top of a tall stone pillar, dancing and playing that stupid tune on the pipe. Ganon growled threateningly, amber eyes narrowing in tired, _severe_ irritation as Link wearily pulled himself to his feet.

"You guys are _fun_," the little thing said, putting down the horn for a moment. "Mother said I should play with you so I did, and you're _loads_ of fun!"

"Play?" Ganon's voice was a low, dangerous sound. "This was all _play?!_"

The imp seemed unthreatened by Ganon's tone, and bounced up and down much like an eager child.

"Mother's the only one who plays harder than you~" it half-sang, then teleported to a spot high up along the walls, where it capered for a moment. "But she knows the way, the way!"

"The way to what?" Link asked, uncertainly lowering his sword. Goddesses, but his arms ached...

"They way to home, of course~ The Mother knows the way to all things, but mostly to home!"

Which was a nonsensical answer that only made Link and Ganon exchange confused, tired looks.

"I'll let you into the secret place, but you have to come back and play with me again!"

And suddenly the imp was between them, still bouncing on its toes. Ganon didn't think, he only reacted, as he was good at doing. His long limbs helped with this, and he simply shoved Link out of reach of whatever the creature was. The blonde male stumbled backwards in pained surprise, breath nearly knocked right back out of him at the force behind the shove.

Fast as Ganon was, the imp was faster, and in a swirl of leaves and chill air, hopped away to another ledge, stomping his feet as if in tantrum, and blowing his horn hard. A dozen puppets surrounded them, but before any blows could be landed, stone grated, and an opening formed.

Lyrical words flowed from beyond the door, the tone a mild reproof, and the language one that Ganon didn't know in the slightest. The imp, however, teleported from his perch, and the puppets all vanished with him.

And Raiha stepped into the stone circle.

She hadn't thought to bother with tying her hair back after the abrupt awakening from her much-needed sleep, so red-gold rippling hair framed her face,framed the whole of her, and for a moment she looked as ethereal as the sunshine, and just as difficult to catch. Then she glanced from one to the other, and let out a sigh so exasperated that the spell was broken, and she was plainly herself again.

Link looked sheepish; Ganon looked mutinous.

After a moment she just shook her head.

"Well, come on then. In here, so I can get a better look at you."

She turned, and they followed her into the remnants of the Temple of Time. The peaceful feeling that flooded over the both of them was startling, but Ganon quickly pushed it aside, allowing his anger to be heard.

"You set that thing on us."

Raiha snorted a little, and glanced at his with a raised eyebrow.

"Yes, and?"

"That... you...!"

His spluttering amused her. Link's woebegone expression just made her chuckle softly.

"And now I know that the two of you can work together without the threat of killing one another," she said, her tone amused, and pleased.

Ganon growled at her.

"Oh, stop acting like a spoiled child. I did warn you to not mess with the trees. It's hardly _my_ fault you lose your temper so quickly. Link, c'mere. Let me see the eye. You're going to need to see period if we're going to get through this."

While Ganon spluttered his ire—and was summarily ignored—Link made his halting way over to Raiha. She still looked ethereal, the light haloed around her and slanting off her hair, but she was real, and she was...

He didn't really know what she was, to be honest. She had just admitted to setting the imp and his puppets on them. Was that really the act of a friend?It felt... it felt more ruthless than anything else. Something about it just didn't sit right.

Raiha's slight smile was knowing and pained, but she offered neither explanation, not comforting words. She had always done her best to be kind, but right now, her kindness wasn't going to serve her well. The boys didn't need to be _friends_, but until the threat was solved, they did at least need to know that the other would step up in protection. And she would be as ruthless, and as hard as the blade of a sword, if that was what it took.

She hummed quietly as she rested her fingertips lightly on his face, and the Song of Healing did the rest of the work for her. Despite his newfound uncertainty as to her motives, Link couldn't help sighing in relief as the pain of his injuries faded.

"You both did very well, by the way," she said after a moment, stepping back slightly and nodding a little. "Good work on improvising with the shield. Good work on keeping it _up_," and this one she directed at Ganon, who had subsided into a silent sulk while she'd tended to Link. "You're getting the hang of it."

He just gave an annoyed grunt, and scowled at her. Raiha rolled her eyes.

"Do you want me to heal your injuries or not, you stubborn prick?" she asked dryly. "I mean, I could always _let_ you walk around on that injured leg until it was useless, you know."

Almost, _almost_, he spat a curse at her. He didn't _like_ her trickery, her sharp tongue, or her abilities to know so much. But he ended up glancing over at Link, and swallowed the entirely rant with just a growl of irritation, then flopped onto the grass cross-legged. To his vast irritation, his actions earned him an amused look, and she stepped over to him as light as a leaf on the wind. She rested her fingertips on his forehead, and hummed the song again, feeling the tide of magic rush through her to do her bidding.

Ganon flinched a little; there was so much light in the magic that it felt as though parts of him were falling asleep at random. But his injuries _were_ healing, and the pain in his leg was the first to go. And it did give him a chance to sit and study her again, which he had to admit, was not a bad thing.

Smug pain in the ass that she was. With her hair down, she looked as though she could be softer. Or maybe some noble princess. With the magic flowing through her, even the light didn't seem quite as bad.

And then she pulled away, his injuries healed, and pulled her hair over her shoulder to start braiding it. The boys were here, and it was time to get back to business.


	9. Eight

Eight

"This," she said, once her hair was confined into its usual style, "is the remnants of the Temple of Time. From here, we can do several things, but there are two that need to be done quickly. First and foremost, I need to make sure that Ganon can't be possessed again."

Irritated or not, Ganon felt his heart jump a little; he wasn't sure if it was elation or fear. It was one thing to grudgingly consent to do things her way, but to voluntarily let her put magic on him? On the other hand, if this spell, if _she_ could actually do as she said it would, he wouldn't have to fear facing down the shade.

The idea of him saving the world with his piece of the Triforce was hilarious. Ludicrous. And yet...

Raiha just watched him, waiting patiently. This wasn't a thing she was inclined to play with, there would be no appealing to pride or ego here. Of course, if he didn't agree, she'd be surprised; Ganon had come to highly value his ability to do thing for himself, and while she didn't expect their truce to last beyond dealing with the threat, the fact that he would be able to confront the threat head on would mean something to him.

He gave her a narrow-eyed stare from his seated position.

"You can really do this?"he demanded, low-voiced.

"Mmhm."

"Swear?"

"I swear by the Seven Sages, this is something I can do."

It wouldn't be _easy_, goddesses no. But she could do it.

"How do you know?"

Raiha looked at him, studied him thoughtfully, then glanced at Link, who was halfway between the two of them. Then sat down with a sigh.

"This is the Temple of Time. Here, _anything_ can be done as long as the intent is pure. You should know that."

Ganon just looked blank. She rolled her eyes slightly, and sighed again.

"All right, fine, history lesson time. This, all of this," and she gestured to their surroundings, also taking in the forest beyond them, "used to be part of Hyrule Castle Town. Heavy stress on 'used to be'. After my first stunning failure, it was decided that having the Temple of Time easily visited by anyone wasn't really a wise idea, so the Sages of the time and I worked to move the Temple to a safer location. Mind you, this all came after my long detour, and the Temple was already built even then."

Link nodded a little, not entirely understanding, but Ganon had a frown of concentration on his face; Raiha wondered if she was jogging some old memories that he'd forgotten or were jumbled up with everything else in his mind.

"I figured the safest place would be the Lost Woods, and at the time, the denizens of the Wood agreed. It was a difficult, pain in the ass task to move everything, but it was the best idea at the time, and my unique... position in the state of things meant that it could be done.

"Through that sealed door is the way into the Sacred Realm."

Ganon drew in a sharp breath. Raiha nodded slightly.

"Yes, this is where the Master Sword rests. _Your_ sword," she said, glancing at Link, who felt a chill run down his spine. "And we'll get it in a moment."

"That will open the door," Ganon said, his voice halting. "We could-"

"No. We don't _need_ to go into the Sacred Realm. There's nothing _there_ that could help us deal with the trials of what's happening now. The Triforce we have, in separate pieces. Ability we have in spades. It's not even useful as a hiding place," and she made a faintly disgusted noise. "It's _boring_."

Ganon and Link both blinked, and shared surprised looks. That did not go unnoticed, though Raiha did hide her pleased smile; maybe this would not be half as impossible as she'd feared.

"In any case, here is a wellspring of magic, far deeper than anything the shade will come up with. Not even the Royal Family of Hyrule knows _specifically_ where this place is, or even how to get to it. Why should they? They sword is meant for the Hero, not the Princess."

Ganon gave her a narrow-eyed stare. Raiha's smile in reply was thin, almost deadly in its danger, warning him away from voicing the thought that she had been the one to make absolutely certain the Royal Family wouldn't know.

After a moment, her smile relaxed, and she cupped her hands slightly. To their surprise, she actually seemed to come away with a handful of sunlight.

"Pure magic. One of the few places that's left," she said quietly, focused on the shimmering pool of light between her callused palms. "The only place where I can work a miracle. So. Are you in, or would you rather take your chances?"

Ganon hesitated.

"You'll _just_ make me impossible to possess?"

She laughed then, clearly not insulted. It annoyed him because he'd meant for the question to sting, but at the same time... her laugh...

"Red, I can track you with ease, what need would I have to do anything beyond what I've said? The Triforce of Power sings its own song, loud and carefree, and I'll follow that _anywhere._"

And just like that, his fascination with her ended abruptly. Like _hells_ he was giving up his Triforce piece to _her_. Still, after a moment he nodded grudgingly, and she got to her feet with a fluid grace that was impressive to watch.

Link scooted back as Raiha walked a small circle around Ganon, watching them both with uncertain curiosity. He could feel the magic of the place, and it was... warm. A little bit like sitting too close to the fire after a while, but not terribly so. And he found himself worrying; Raiha had never performed a large spell in front of him before, but there had been times when her words had been less circumspect, and she had let slip how draining it could be. Was this really as good an idea as she thought it was?

After a moment he gave himself a mental shake and scold. The lady wasn't always the most forthcoming, but she would persevere, and when she thought it was safe, he knew she would explain. He just had to trust her, to _keep_ trusting her, and everything would be all right.

Ganon just kept watching her warily, feeling the build up of magic around him, a swirling web of power. It wasn't Power, but he could feel the triforce piece reacting to what she was doing, and he had to admit, he himself was fascinated as well; this felt like old magic, ancient magic. Which, if she was really as old as she'd hinted...

Raiha began a soft, sing-song chant as she walked, asking, not demanding, for the protection of the pure. Protection for the poor, unlucky bastard that had been possessed for far too long, and still didn't know what to do with himself at times, who only followed her because she was the strongest will he was coming up against at the moment. Coming with because she could poke and prod and coerce his curiosity, his ire, his pride into making him act the way she wanted. Despite his intention to keep watching her, wary for a trap, the high, clear notes she sang lulled him towards complacency, towards calm, and his head lowered a little, eyes going half-lidded.

It reminded him, obliquely, of when the Gerudo had been a prominent race. So long ago now. Their survival in the desert. The... yes, the joy that his tribe of female thieves and fighters had when they were at ease, drinking and laughing over some haul or another. The more subtle, silent joy of a Gerudo woman's belly swelling with signs of pregnancy. The fierce defiant joy of riding out a sandstorm in their stone homes, shielded from the worst of it by the mountain range.

Something slid over him then, cool and smooth. Fluid, like water, like...

He lifted his head, abruptly aware that Raiha had come to a stop before him. The music had ceased, but the magic was there, strong and ready for what she intended to use it for. So why had she...?

His thoughts stuttered to a halt as he met her eyes. Old eyes, tired eyes. Eyes that held the weight of time that had passed, and would never return. Desperation, determination, even a little fear. And underneath it all, the tiniest spark of hope, flickering and guttering like a candle flame. A side-effect of the spell, he realized after a moment, letting him see this much. Or maybe... maybe a choice to trust him more fully?

Raiha just looked at him steadily, her hands slightly outstretched in his direction. The spell was old, and required understanding, at least in some small part, between the caster and the receiver. Ganon had to _accept_ the spell, she couldn't just place it on with without any sort of care the way her cobbled-together spell had been done. So she had to let him see, at least a little, the burden she was laboring under, and the _why_ of wanting him to have this particular protection.

After several long, absolutely silent moments, Ganon slowly lifted his hands and placed them on top of her outstretched ones. The cool feeling surrounded him then, sinking into every part of him; an invisible protection that felt as slippery as ice, and yet malleable. Strong and secure in its foundation. He yipped slightly as the Triforce of Power sparked abruptly, then felt the shield stabilizing at it fed in more energy.

Raiha let out a sigh of relief, withdrew her hands, and stepped back, then wobbled a little; so much magic... goddesses, but it had been too long since she'd channeled that much that freely. It had felt good, but also it was draining. Nor was she done. As Ganon stared first at her, then down in bemusement at his hand where the Triforce symbol was burned into his dark skin, she moved carefully over to Link, who looked up at her with wide blue eyes.

"I'll need to give you the protection too," she said with a faint, weary smile. "The shade has already proven it will abandon its host, and while Zelda is a good hostage, taking you would be... in some ways, far worse. Will you accept it?"

"L...Lady Raiha you..." Link stammered a little, his look concerned.

"It's all right," and her voice was surprisingly gentle. "There's enough ambient magic here to fuel a lot more than just the mental barrier. That's part of the reason why I brought you both here."

She didn't _look_ all right to his eye. Her skin was paler, and her eyes seemed a bit feverish... And he had seen that wobble when she'd stepped away from Ganon. But there was that faint smile on her mouth, a little curve that said she was pleased, she was—dare he say it—having _fun_, and relaxing. There was almost a touch of mischief in there too, he was willing to swear.

After a moment, Link sighed and nodded a little.

It was Ganon's turn to hitch himself around and watch. For Link, the spell was performed differently; here was no need for a prolonged, semi-soul-baring look when the person in question already trusted her so completely. And trust her Link did, not hesitating in taking the hands that she offered, not flinching when he felt the cool swirl of magic flow into him. Admittedly, he was no stranger to Raiha casting spells on him, which probably helped.

Raiha sagged as the spell was completed, her knees buckling in fatigue. Link and Ganon both lunged forward to catch her, to prevent the fall that was coming, both forgetting a very simple fact; Raiha _was_ magic, and tended to react on instinct a bit herself. So as they moved, she moved, using Faoroe's Wind to move a few feet to the left, leaving the two young men to collide with one another as she flopped gracelessly down onto the grass.

Due to his larger mass, Ganon neatly bowled the would-be hero over. They tumbled for a couple feet, and ended up in a dazed heap. Raiha, tired as she was, couldn't help but giggle. She had apparently adopted a pair of protective idiots. The idea that Ganon could be someone she maybe trusted didn't sting any more, at least. While he'd looked at her, seen what she'd needed him to see, she'd looked right back, and seen something similar.

As the duo untangled themselves, Ganon grumbling irritably about women who cheated and then laughed, Raiha just soaked in the magic that was still hanging in the air. She didn't intend to tap her spirits until the last moment, when her plan fully blossomed into fruition, so she would need as much as she could gather from here before they left.

"...L... Lady?"

"You can dispense with the title, Link," she said a little dryly, half-opening her eyes. "I'm all right. It's been a long time since I did the spell is all."

Ganon snorted a little, back to feeling vaguely irritable about the whole situation. He didn't want to admit he'd been feeling some concern for her when she'd been about to fall, Din's flames, no. Definitely not aloud, much less to himself. So he settled for an irritated stare that Raiha ignored.

"Step two, now that the hard part is over, is getting the Master Sword from the pedestal of time, beyond that door," and she nodded slightly in the direction of the solid stone monolith. "Link, the sword belongs to you and you alone. I can open the door for you, at least."

Link blinked, still a little dazed, then nodded uncertainly, and finally got to his feet. Ganon got up as well, more curious than anything else, and watched as Raiha once more pulled out the Ocarina that he both coveted and loathed. The song she played this time was low, and he felt music and magic reverberate through the entire clearing. The echoes seemed to loop, calling back to a different time, a different era...

The Song of Time. It was almost a memory he could grasp; play the Song of Time to open the Door of Time, to reveal the Master Sword, the final key closing the door between this world and the Sacred Realm. The final key before the Triforce could be-

He forcibly yanked his mind away from that train of thought as the great stone door slid open, and Link hesitantly stepped through. He _had_ a piece of the Triforce, one that had admittedly not done him a whole lot of good, and allowed the shade to perform a great deal of _evil._ Raiha was, in this instance, right. The Sacred Realm held nothing they needed at the time.

Absently he let his feet carry him over to where she was sitting, flopping down near, but not _too_ near, and waited for her to look at him. She did after a moment, then muttered a few choice words before sliding into old Hylian again.

"Okay, fine, ask."

"That... _thing... _What was it?"

She snorted a little in fond amusement.

"A skull kid. Rather, _the_ Skull Kid. When young children used to be able to wander into the Lost Woods, they would become Skull Kids, or sometimes Deku Scrubs, after they passed on. Adults would become Stalfos. Also, my friend. We play sometimes."

"Play? Like he played with us? Like you _told_ him to?"

Her grin turned sharp.

"He's part of the test to get through the woods. Be glad I didn't say you were permanent playmates, otherwise you'd have been separated, not to mention good and lost, by now."

He glared at her, which only prompted more sharp amusement.

"Anything else?"

"Reincarnation."

Raiha blinked, cocking her head slightly.

"What about reincarnation?"

"How does it work?" he asked.

"How the hell would I know? The one time I went through it, I was perfectly cognizant pretty much the entire time, and since then _I haven't died_."

"But you seem to know a lot about it," he pointed out, perhaps a little stubbornly.

Raiha sighed.

"Only because I've watched it happen so much that I've lost count. It gets disheartening after a while, being forgotten. What's worse is that every time they get reborn, their powers are... not _lessened_, not really, but they aren't what they once were. Zelda always has an innate ability to channel light, but it's nowhere near as strong as it was during her first incarnation as Sage and Princess. Sometimes I wonder if Hylia's soul is as exhausted as I am."

"Hylia?"

Raiha nibbled thoughtfully on her lower lip, then shook her head slightly, regretfully it seemed.

"No time for the long history lesson. Link's got the sword now, and he's taking a moment to get used to it. Let's go with her being the initial incarnation of Zelda, and leave it at that. In any case, as time goes on, and magic drains from the land, it also drains from the people, and every time Zelda is reborn, her power is a little bit weaker, a little bit more diminished. She is still strong in the way that Zelda is _always_ strong, but she is not what she could be. Same with Link. They never remember, either.

"They're never quite the same people, though both are still innately good. Zelda is always a Princess. Link is always someone of lower rank. Sometimes they've managed to get over that and marry, but most of the time the relationship is that of dear friends, a trusted companion who will always protect the other. Neither one has lacked for love, or lovers, in their many incarnations."

She lowered her eyes a little, then hopped to her feet in a surprising show of energy, cutting off Ganon's next question. A moment later, Link appeared in the doorway, looking a little bewildered. He had continued to wear his guard trainee uniform during their travels, but now he was dressed as the Hero was meant to be, in a green tunic and hat that signified the ties of courage to the goddess Farore, with chainmail as his armor. The Master Sword's blue hilt poked over his left shoulder, and he carried his old sword uncertainly in his hands.

Ganon grimaced to see the familiar weapon that had killed him more times than he could count, but refrained from saying anything about it. That sword really was the one thing that could take down the Shade... but was that what she was planning? A straightforward fight? It seemed too... simple. Raiha didn't think in straight lines, she thought in a tangle of squiggles, that only she understood. He wondered where this tangle would lead them all, and if they would survive it.

"Where do we go now?" Link asked as Raiha took the common sword and placed it against the stone wall nearby.

"There's two options. Before we confront Zelda, Ganon needs armor and a sword that will stand up to his strength. The Sage's Sword isn't necessarily my _first_ choice as a weapon for you, but it's suited well enough in the past," and she slanted a glance at Ganon. "And while you're getting the hang of the shield spell, that takes magic, which isn't inexhaustible. So mundane armor will suit as well. The armor is easier to get in some ways, but you'd be doing that part without me. Getting the Sage's Sword requires dealing with whatever is happening in the Gerudo Desert."

"Without you again?" Ganon gave her a suspicious look.

Raiha shrugged.

"I don't do heights. The Occa city..." she shuddered, and Ganon noted that her skin had gone pale. "Too high. _Much_ too high. Besides, there shouldn't be much up there to cause trouble for you. I didn't store the armor in the easiest place to reach, maybe, but it should be there, be _safe_, and be useable."

Link had a flash of memory then; blue sky and clouds beneath his feet, a terrified hand that held his so tightly he was sure he'd lost all circulation, the smell of citrus and a death grip around his shoulders...

And then it was gone, and Raiha was looking at them expectantly. Ganon hesitated, thinking for a moment, then shrugged.

"Hell, the kid got his sword, I want one of my own."

Unspoken was the thought that he had things in the desert to deal with. His past, mostly, assuming he could even get a straight answer about that.

Raiha nodded a little, unperturbed, and lifted a hand that glowed green with magic. Air rushed around them, and between one blink and the next, they were deposited neatly at the entrance to the Lost Woods.


	10. Nine

Nine

It took them almost two weeks to travel from the Faron province down to Lake Hylia, and they spent a good chunk of it fighting things that were decidedly out for blood, and when they weren't fighting, Raiha was usually patching up their injuries. She preferred the mundane way if there was only cuts and bruises, but she would make exceptions for dangerous injuries, using magic to heal the most severe.

In those two weeks, they learned how to work better as a trio, Link guarding their left flank with the Master Sword deployed—always pointedly kept away from Ganon, a thing the large man appreciated, though he never said as much—while Raiha's own Gilded sword snipped a path on the right. Ganon recalled the words to a few more spells, and could usually fend for himself with hard, heavy punches when enemies drew too close for magic.

As Raiha had warned, magic in particular seemed to draw the creatures in, but as Ganon was without a sword of his own, there was little she could do to compensate for his instinctive reach for abilities that he was still rather ham-handed with. She would admit that he was improving on not _dumping_ magic into his spells, but it was still much like setting of a signal flare, which really didn't help much in _avoiding_ fights.

Intact, if tired, they finally made it to the lake, and managed to get a chance to rest and catch their breath inside of the shrine of Lanayru. Partially because Raiha needed to speak to her Spirits, and partially because Lanayru's protection was a temporary necessity. They were all exhausted, physically and mentally, and both males swiftly fell into sleep as Raiha communed with her children.

_Still?_

_Yes, my Mother,_ Lanayru replied. _The barrier you placed strains no longer against the angry winds of the tainted desert sands, but the stillness is its own danger._

She sighed a little, and wondered if she should try and convince Ganon that getting armor first might be a better idea. The Sky Cannon still _worked_, after all, and the boys clearly worked well together.

Absently she glanced over, and had to stifle a pained smile. They were like a pair of puppies, really, former hostility not necessarily _forgotten_, but negated by the simplicity of Link not actively remembering what it was that made Ganon the villain. In an unexpected, but pleasing way, Ganon seemed to have come to care about the blond boy, being more annoyed by Link's injuries than his own.

It wasn't the first time she'd watched the Hero fall in love. It probably wouldn't be the last, if she failed here. It was most certainly the most _unique_, however, as no one could really have predicted this turn of events. Link was half-sprawled against the former king of the desert as if they were old friends instead of ancient enemies, and one of Ganon's arms had dropped over the hero as if in response.

_The palace?_ She asked, finally dragging her thoughts, and her gaze, away from what would depress her.

_Also still. The tainted Wisdom remains within, waiting or seeking, we cannot tell._

She sighed a little, and patted the invisible nose of the water dragon.

_Knowing our luck, my spirit, it's probably both. It has the whole of the Royal library at its disposal._

She felt the dragon shift its head lightly in a nod, then an affection bump to her shoulder.

_We are ready for what you will need, Mother. Will you tell them?_

Raiha shook her head.

_They will protest. It'll turn into a fight. Better that they don't know._

Through the magical link she shared with the spirits, she could feel approval and dissent in equal measure. Eldin and Faron agreed with the reasoning, while Lanayru and Ordana did not.

_Better to win and be seen as a liar, than to lose and have them all die again, _she said curtly. _I'm tired of that. I'm tired of everything. I need this win, and if it makes them all lose faith in me, lose trust... well, it won't be the first time. I hope to the heavens, however, that it will be the last._

There was still approval and dissent in equal measure, but Raiha only sighed. She would rather risk her life a thousand times over than fail even once more, and if this one, risky idea worked out the way she wanted it too... Well, then it would be worth the effort. Lanayru gave her another affectionate nudge, loving her despite the disapproval, and she got the sense that the dragon wished it could give her another option. It made her smile fondly, softly, and she hugged the invisible snout.

"I know," she said softly. "But this is my choice. I'll accept the consequences and the fate that comes with it."

The dragon let out a soft sigh of reluctant acceptance, and Raiha let the spirit slip back into the water. Slowly she got to her feet and made her way out of the shrine to view the lake under the low-hanging moon. Sleep, she knew, was what she ought to have done. But she studied her barrier, reaching out with her senses and nodded slightly at the information she received.

Nothing pushed on the barrier any longer; the sandstorm had stilled, and the feeling was now one of patience, of anticipation and waiting. What, she wondered, would try to kill them as they crossed the desert to reach the temple-turned-prison? What _inside_ the temple might try to kill them, fail though it ultimately would.

Getting the Sages' Sword was going to be a pain and a half. She didn't want to awaken the Sage constructs that had taken the place of the six friends that had not needed to awaken in this period of time. Old Rauru, Saria the ever-friendly. Nabooru, her sister, friend... almost, but not quite her mother. Ruto, who's royalty had made her understand the duty she faced, and had not begrudged her friendship. Darunia, whose mountain had kept her safe. Impa.

Ah, Impa.

Raiha closed her eyes at the assault of memories attached to those names, letting them rush over her, reminding her of everything that had changed. Ruto, who had been able to leave children behind, to continue her line of wise and sensible rulers. Impa's training still lived on among the guardsmen of Hyrule, though they occasionally lacked her strength and fortitude. Darunia's alliance with the people of Kakariko still held to this day.

And the ones she had failed; the Korkiri, the Gerudo, the remnants of the Shiekah... Those memories peppered her thoughts as well, slicing as keen as a blade despite the dilution of time.

"I thought you said we were all supposed to rest."

Ancient Hylian was a surprising balm for painful thoughts.

"There's an old saying, specifically for times like this," Raiha said, not even surprised that Ganon was now standing behind her. "I'll sleep when I'm dead."

"But you've already said you can't die."

She shrugged lightly, making a slight gesture with one hand.

"I can't. Doesn't mean it hurts less. Do you need something?"

Ganon frowned a little at her; her words were less defensively said now, but there was still the implication that she was brushing him aside, and he didn't _like_ that. So he did something he hadn't yet done; he stepped forward, and caught the still outstretched wrist.

Raiha went very still, and for a moment he worried that she was going to use some magic to attack him, or maybe just use his weight against him to fling him into the lake, which he could swim only minimally.

Not to say that she didn't consider both options before forcing herself to relax. Unlike Link, she had memories intact of this man trying his level best to not just kill her, but to destroy the land of Hyrule in the taking of it. But relax she did, minutely, and turned to give him a faintly annoyed look.

"Let go."

"Why?" he challenged. "You're out here, brooding in the moonlight when you should be sleeping. What's going on inside that twisted mind of yours?"

"More than anyone, including you, will ever know," she said coolly. "You can either let go of my wrist, or I can turn you into a skipping stone."

"I have the Triforce of Power, if you throw me, you're coming with."

Raiah's smile was sharp.

"_I_ can swim. The water is _my_ domain. It always has been."

His bluff had been called. Reluctantly, Ganon released her arm. Raiha shook it lightly, then turned back to stare over the lake again. The silence was thick, and Ganon wondered if he was the only one feeling awkward. What could he say to her, someone who had been forced to live, to survive as the cycles repeated themselves over and over again? He was damaged in a different way, and he didn't fully understand how she, allowed to live her life for so long, could be so resentful of it.

"You're projecting again," she said after a long minute. "If I wanted to, I could pluck those thoughts right out of the air. I'm fairly sure I don't, so either say them, or go away. Go back to being a bed."

He had a flash of insight then; Raiha was _lonely_. Yes, she could live forever, unchanging, but that wasn't really _life_, was it? She bore no children, made few—if any—friends, and let no one near enough to love her. And now, because he was finding some affection with her hero, she was _jealous_, and trying not to be.

"Are you ever _not_ stupidly selfless?" he finally asked.

The question baffled her enough that she turned to face him, eyebrows going up. He made an annoyed sound of his own, and crossed his arms.

"Why don't you just _tell_ the kid?"

Pain flared in her eyes then, pain, desire, loss, and loneliness that struck him with all the force of her fist in his gut. Which had happened a couple of times.

"I can't."

"Why the hells not?"

"Because _I don't die!_" she snapped. "I _can't_ die. I am forever, I am eternal, I am _alone_ until I fulfill this goddamn mandated _punishment_ I have labored under for so many centuries that _I have lost count!_ I have seen Link and Zelda love each other, love me, love other people, and it _hurts_. I am so _tired_ of pain, of wanting, of longing... And every time I hope that this will be the _last_ time. This will be the _chance_, where I can finish this punishment detail, and _get my life back_. A _real_ life, where I can maybe have kids of my own, where I can damn well _kill myself_ if I wanted to!"

She ran a tired hand over her face, and glared at him. On the one hand, he was glad to see that she _could_ lose control like this, could lose her temper, could shout, and be actually upset instead of the contrived anger or mild irritation she showed when he was deliberately pricking at her. On the other, it made him uncomfortably aware that she was running herself ragged to ensure an outcome that would allow her to die.

And he found part of himself really didn't like that idea.

He reached out to her, but Raiha stepped back, her guard restored. Ganon growled in frustration.

"If you're not able to die, then it won't kill you to let me _try_ an help you!" he snapped. "Desert sands, you stubborn woman, don't you think I _get_ some part of your frustrations?"

"I don't need your pity," she said shortly. "I don't want your remorse or regret."

"_Damnit_ Raiha, I am _trying_ to be your_ friend!_"

He hadn't meant to say that, but it had the desired affect. She stared at him in mute, open surprise as he growled and stomped a little ways down the secure wooden bridges that line either side of Lanayru's cave. Her friend? He was really trying to be her _friend_?

It just seemed so absurd. Why in the hells would he actually want to be _her_ friend? Why would _anyone_ want to be her friend? She had spent so many years cultivating a detached air, a deliberate coolness towards every race. It had hurt some, but she found loneliness preferable to loss, and keeping other people out had kept her from losing too much of herself.

She turned and started to walk in the opposite direction, and almost ran over Link, who had been woken by the raised voices, and come to mediate an argument he couldn't quite understand. Fortunately, he caught her before she could fall into the water. As expected, she swore at him, and once she was standing on her own feet again, brushed his hands away.

"Go back to bed, Link," she said irritably. "At least someone should be well-rested by the time dawn arrives."

"Then it should be you," he said, startling her. "You don't sleep enough."

"I don't need as much sleep as you," she retorted, too unnerved by the previous conversation to bother with being polite.

"Lady Raiha..."

"I don't want to talk right now. Let me be."

And she walked away. Link felt his heart drop painfully into his gut as he watched her stiff shoulders and her angry strides create distance again. After a moment, he hesitatingly turned in the direction of the tall man that was becoming his friend and decided to see if maybe Ganon would talk.

Ganon glanced at Link as he approached, and made an annoyed sound.

"She's a stubborn pain in the ass, I don't know what you see in her," he grumbled.

"She taught me everything I know," Link replied, a half-smile crossing his face. "I trust her."

"I don't think _she_ trusts anyone."

"Maybe if you weren't so... argumentative?"

The redhead snorted irritably.

"She starts it."

That made Link snicker.

"You _both_ start it," the blond pointed out. "But she doesn't really mean anything by it, you know. She told me she's pricking your pride, and making you want to prove her wrong, because that gets results. She's not trying to be _mean_, just... motivational."

"Feh," Ganon said sulkily. "I _knew_ that."

Link rolled his eyes a little in tolerant amusement, willing to bet that Ganon hadn't really guessed.

"So what did you say this time that upset her?" he asked as the silence stretched.

Ganon sighed, unable to hold on to the currents of anger in the face of Link trying to play the peacemaker.

"I just tried to offer her friendship, which she refuted without a second thought," he replied tiredly.

"Lady Raiha's not really... friendly?" Link offered.

It got him a faint bark of laughter.

"You can say _that_ again. She's about as prickly as a cactus..." he sighed a little. "I suppose I went about that the wrong way."

"Well, there's always apologizing?"

Ganon gave Link a sidelong stare, which only made him grin. After a minute, the tall man made an annoyed grunt, and pushed away from the railing.

"Fine, but if she stabs me, it's your fault."

"She won't stab you." A pause. "I think."

"Maybe not _fatally_, but she probably thinks about it..."

Link couldn't help but snicker, and Ganon gave him a dry look.

"Could throw you in the lake," he mock-threatened.

"I can swim,"Link said with a little grin. "She taught me. By throwing me in the lake."

"Oh, I did not," Raiha said dryly, making both men jump. "I _dropped_ you in the lake. There's a difference."

Link grinned sheepishly. Raiha's annoyance was an affectation, after a moment she sighed, and looked to Ganon.

"You didn't deserve my temper. For that, I'm sorry. I don't know about the offer of friendship. I'll have to think about that. For now, we should all try and get some sleep before daybreak. Something's up in the desert, and we'll need all our wits about us if we want to survive it."

It was more than he expected, and after a moment, Ganon nodded a little hesitantly.

"I'm... sorry too," he said a little gruffly. "It's been a long time..."

She just nodded when he didn't finish the sentence. It had been a long time since he'd been in control of himself enough to make mistakes like this. He wasn't really the seducing with smooth words sort of male, he was more the one who won a lady over with deeds. And Raiha was in a similar boat; it had been a long time since she'd had reason to extend more than formal courtesy towards even the reincarnations of Link and Zelda.

So they were both more than slightly out of practice at handling things.

Link felt entirely too pleased by the outcome of mutual apology, and once they had all returned to the cavern, was the first to fall asleep. Ganon stayed awake, and there was an expectant feeling to the air.

He still jumped a little when she finally spoke.

"I do trust you. I don't know that I _like_ you some days, but I do trust you. You haven't run away, you've tried to learn, and you've tried to protect."

He stepped hard on his first response, which would have been flippant and probably pissed her off. If she was going to try and be nice, even if it was only temporary, he was going to attempt the same. Instead, he propped himself up on one elbow so he could look over at her.

"You did say you could track me anywhere, so running is kind of pointless. With this new shield on me, revenge actually seems kind of palatable... though how are we supposed to get the shade out of your princess?"

"...I have an idea. Still working on it."

He eyed her, then decided not to press.

"All right. As much as it pains me to admit to it, I do... trust you too," her grumbled the words, and the grouchy tone coaxed a tiny smile from her that he didn't miss. "You've helped and protected me thus far. You didn't have to. You could have thrown me to the shade again in exchange for your princess and your typical foundation."

She snorted in amusement.

"I could have tried, maybe. It's a moot point now. Go to sleep. We'll have goddesses know what trying to kill us in the morning."

It was his turn to snort, but he laid back down, and let himself fall into slumber. Raiha closed her eyes as well, then rolled onto her side, and reached out a hand. The invisible scales of Lanayru crossed her palm and she sighed a little.

This was not going to be fun.

The desert shortly after dawn was still chill enough that they could see the faintest curls of their breaths as they walked up the silent, sand-strewn path. Ganon felt heavy apprehension curling around him as they walked; the desert was never this still.

Raiha felt it too, but instead of pulling out her sword she strung her bow, keeping it, and an arrow in one hand. It wouldn't be good for the bow to remain strung for long periods of time, but right now, having it strung and ready to use was better than being caught unawares and getting hurt.

On another day, in another lifetime, this could maybe have been a fun and interesting trip. There were still many landmarks that told Gerudo tales, and Raiha knew the stories well. She wondered absently how much Ganon remembered, but a sidelong glance convinced her that just the sight of the desert itself was striking home in painful ways.

His people were _gone_. Oh, every now and again a small group of darker-skinned Hylians would be born, or the yellow eyes and red hair would show up in a person, but they were few and far between. Gerudo had faded from memory, as had the shadowfolk, the Sheikah. Absently, longingly, she thought of a time long before, when there had been carefree forest children, wary desert women, protective shadowfolk, and when she had still held a strong measure of hope that everything would turn out all right.

Link just stared about him in wonder; the desert was like no other place he'd seen in Hyrule, and he was _fascinated._ He refrained from bouncing around like a hyperactive kid only by sheer force of will, and a desire to be taken seriously by his two friends. Oh, he felt the weight in the air, but was confident that they could handle it with little worry.

"No spirit here?" Ganon finally asked.

"No. The desert is large, and too... damaged. Clearing out the evil spirits to make room for a Light Spirit would take me years. Probably decades. And no one lives here any longer, so there's never been much of a need. Lanayru keeps an eye on the entrance, but otherwise..." Raiha shrugged. "I think about it, every now and again..."

Ganon made a faint sound of acknowledgment, lapsing back into silence. And under their feet, the ground shivered.

As one, they froze, looking first down at their feet, and then, as the shiver repeated, reflexively stepping into a triangle of protection.

It was Ganon who saw the giant moldorms first, and swore. Raiha followed his gaze, and her eyes narrowed.

"Right. Ready?"

Link and Ganon both looked at her.

"_Run_."

The both looked at the fast approaching worms, and then took off running across the sand.

Logically, Ganon knew that running wasn't a smart idea. The desert creatures had always tracked by vibrations, their own footsteps would lead the giant moldorm straight to them. Raiha had to know this too, which meant she had some plan. Or so he hoped. Being eaten by a damned moldorm, no matter _how_ large, wasn't something he was sure he would _ever_ live down.

Raiha kept her gaze ahead, while both Ganon and Link occasionally looked back to see how close the worms were. She was looking for solid earth, not sand; moldorn moved best through sand, but had trouble with earth. Stone was best, but there wasn't much stone to be found that the desert winds hadn't worn away at. And the former guard compound before the prison was simply too far away from where they were, though maybe if they got _lucky_...

She gritted her teeth and sent her mind spiraling through her spells. Her bow wasn't going to cut it, not here, and not with this problem; the moldorm were too large, and too hungry, and her bow was rather small and lacked the power of even the old fairy bow. She generally didn't carry bombs either; they were too noisy, and her approaches tended to be stealthy ones, not loud unless there was no other option.

But the thought of bombs germinated quickly into an idea. It was risky, and if she failed it was going to hurt quite a _lot_, but at the same time, if it _worked_...

Raiha adjusted her stride to allow Link to pull ahead of her; if nothing else, this would buy them the time to get to higher ground, and put them on somewhat equal footing with the nine-foot-tall moldorm. She stopped, and spun, filling her hands with fire.

She had not thought about the unexpected dedication to her safety that both of her companions shared. Link, having seen Raiha fall back, had pushed himself to catch up to Ganon and grabbed for his arm to get his attention. The redhead blinked, then glanced over his shoulder in time to see Raiha taking up a stance as the two balls of fire grew in size.

He didn't have the breath to growl out a curse, so he thought them very loudly, and both males skidded to a halt and started to scramble back to the crazy woman. Ganon felt he might have the gist of her idea, and the one spell he could remember from his time under the shade came to him. A ball of lightning surged in his right hand, and as the moldorm converged on the fire-wielding form of Raiha, he let it fly.

The lightning mixed with the overlarge fireballs, blowing the two creatures back with a thunderous explosion that knocked the three much-smaller people to the ground. A good portion of the ground itself became rather... molten, and glass fragments sprayed everywhere, stopped only by the shield that Raiha had thrown up at the last second before impact.

The sand settled. The three sat up, ears ringing. Ganon's glare said more than enough to Raiha, and she shrugged lightly. It wasn't _her_ fault it had exploded loud enough to damage their hearing temporarily, that had been the lightning. Link just stared at them both, as they slowly picked themselves up out of the sand. He was pretty sure he _should_ be upset at Raiha running off to do what she'd done, but... she did that all the time, really. And he had to admit, Master Sword or not, he certainly hadn't felt capable of dealing with the giant moldorm.

Raiha reached over and touched both of them lightly, and after a moment hearing returned.

"Are you _crazy_?" Ganon snapped. It was tempting to reach out and shake her, but he refrained, choosing to angrily smack the sand out of his clothes instead.

"...I'm going to assume that's rhetorical," she said dryly, carefully dusting herself off as well. "Look, there was no time. I had the idea, I went with it. It's not _my_ fault it exploded like that."

He looked rather mutinous, and muttered his opinion of that low enough that she elected to ignore it. His lightning had caused the unexpected explosion, not her fire, but she wasn't displeased by the outcome. The moldorm had been defeated.

At least, for the moment.

"There's usually a lot of small moldorm trawling the desert for the unsuspecting," she said with a faint sigh. "So it's likely that there's going to be more than just these two of the _giant_ variety between us and the prison. Given that there's still a lot of desert between, running the whole way is out of the question. Teleporting is too; that would set off a flare of magic too bright to be ignored, and I don't want that shade knowing where we are just yet."

Ganon continued muttering for a few minutes, then pointed at the hills they had come rather close to.

"We'll have to take the oblique path," he said irritably. "Going over the hills instead of the straight line through the desert is probably the only way to avoid attracting more moldorm. Same for getting back out."

"It'll take more time, but it is safer," Raiha nodded. "Come on, let's get moving."


	11. Ten

Ten

There was really only so long Ganon could maintain his irritated sulk in the face of going up and down the stoney hills, especially with Raiha easily pulling ahead of him in the walk. It was, as they'd agreed, the safer route; no moldorm, at least, though they could occasionally see the beasts out in the sands, leaping, every now and again, for food.

If the creatures hadn't tried to eat _them_, it could have even been pretty interesting to watch. As it was, Ganon had to avert his gaze every now and then, to see how close they were to the prison. The roundabout route they were forced to take was definitely not his idea of a good time.

Link trailed behind them, lagging a bit more with every hill they climbed. Unlike the two Gerudo, he wasn't used to toiling under the brutal sun, and the sharp desert wind that rushed around them did little to ease the heat. They were around halfway when the thump of Link abruptly sitting caught the attention of the other two, and they turned in surprise. Raiha's expression turned sheepish, and sympathetic as she took in the overheated Hylian. Ganon did his best to not be amused at his friend's expense.

"Right. Sunsickness," Raiha said ruefully. "All right. We'll take a break and rest for a bit. We can set up the canvas as a sunblock for a while."

Truthfully, Link had given her the perfect excuse to stop; the fire spells were exhausting to cast, but she hadn't wanted to show that much weariness. Just because the fireballs had been low enough in energy to _theoretically_ avoid notice didn't mean that they actually had. Resting because she needed it wasn't acceptable, but resting because Link wasn't used to the punishment of the hot sun? That she could do.

So while Link sat there and tried to keep from passing out, Raiha and Ganon quickly set up the tent canvas as a shade, and pulled him into it. Ganon stripped out of his own shirt and stepped back out into the sun with a faint grin,while Raiha stayed in the shade, and coaxed Link to have some water, and eat a little bit of food.

Ganon surveyed the desert that had once housed his people, trying to resolve conflicting memories. Part of him said that there should have been shifting sands, a permanent sandstorm, a temple to the Goddess of the Sands, whoever she was. Another part said that his people had been beaten severely in a war so long ago, that their temple had been repurposed, his women mostly imprisoned, if not outright killed. The prison that was their destination loaned validity to those memories, and yet...

And yet...

He felt her come up beside him, and spared her a glance.

"What do you remember?" he finally asked.

"A proud people," she said quietly. "Ragged, but strong, who had unwavering loyalty to their king. A ruthless people who were in competition to had that coveted male child, but only the one; any male born after the death of the old king was abandoned or killed."

He jolted a little.

"You didn't know?" After a moment she chuckled darkly. "No, I suppose you wouldn't. There was no magic that made the Gerudo women only bear more women; it was law. Most 'stillbirths' were male, left to the mercies of the desert. My mother had one. I could have had a little brother. Instead, I got exile."

"When... when were you exiled?"

"When I was eight. My mother did her best to protect me, but there was no hiding that I was different," she shrugged lightly. "I am Gerudo, but I am Hylian. I used to hate it, showing the Hylian side of me. At points I enjoyed it. Mostly, I don't care any longer. What is there to care about? The Gerudo are gone, and nothing can change that."

"...the Triforce could."

"Hn. Maybe. Should I add it to the list of things I have to wish for if I ever complete it?"

Her tone was acerbic, and he winced a little. He was still of two minds on giving her the Triforce of Power, but it had been several long weeks now...a month at the least. He did trust her. Perhaps it wouldn't be so bad to let her have it when she asked...

After a moment, Raiha shook her head.

"Whatever past you see out there, it's probably true, even if it's conflicting. There are many universes, many deserts. One is no less real than the other."

"...that makes my head hurt," he complained, giving her a mildly annoyed look.

She snorted in amusement.

"And here I was thinking you didn't have a brain to hurt," she teased.

He blinked, then gave her a narrow-eyed stare. Playful was not what he was used to with her. Playful was for the kid. She stared back, amusement flickering in her eyes, triggering desire and avarice to coil through his thoughts. He made himself take that firm step back as it was her turn to give him the narrow-eyed stare.

"Good work with the lightning ball," she said after a moment. "Though next time, not so large, or so close. We could have all been electrocuted, and that is a _highly_ unpleasant feeling. Not to mention the aftermath of lightning is thunder, and that can certainly kill at close range."

"Well, if you would teach me the fire spell," he pointed out.

"You had memories of fire back in the LostWoods, I'm not sure I ought to encourage _that_."

"That wasn't my fault," her grumbled.

"Uh huh. Tell that to the trees."

He huffed at her irritably. She only smirked.

"Since Link needs a bit to recover, _I_ am going to catch a nap. You can stand guard if you want."

"Such a generous offer," he grumbled. "Is it actually a choice?"

"Sure. You can wallow in memory that is fluid and confusing, or you can nap too."

That made him snort, amused despite himself. How she could cause such conflicting emotions in such a short time made his head whirl.

After a moment of silence, Raiha returned back to the shelter, and pulled off her outer tunic to use as a pillow. Link was already passed out nearby, his exposed skin red from overexposure to the sun. Fortunately, it hadn't been too difficult to convince him to take off the chainmail and his own tunic to help cool off, and a light touch assured her that his sleep was peaceful, and not feverish.

She laid there in silence, turning her plans over in her mind until she drifted into a light doze. Ganon remained out in the harsh sun for an hour more before retreating into their makeshift shade, but instead of napping, he chose to meditate instead. Raiha had indicated, back when she'd started teaching, that the calm, centered state of mind he found could lead to easily sorting through memories, and deciding which ones he felt were real, and which ones were part of the omnipresent shade.

The creature's touch seemed to resound through all versions of Hyrule; there were many memories that he knew were not his and his alone. But some memories twined close enough that he wasn't sure, especially when they referenced the woman who slumbered nearby.

And focusing on her did nothing but give him a headache. Vaguely he could remember seeing a child with an appearance similar to hers. Ordering her death, ordering her banishment... her acquisition...

The last one made him shudder; he did _not_ have a taste for children. That was too perverse. That had to have been the shade's doing, that memory, and he was quick to shove it away, refusing to believe in it.

Eventually his attention focused instead on groping for barely remembered spells. Raiha was right about that; the lightning ball had come the easiest,but it was also the most unpredictable, and he had little desire to kill himself, or the kid who was suffering from too much sun. Slowly, bit by bit he managed to find fragments of memory to put together; some from his own past with the two women, two powerful mages, that he had called his mothers, most from times spent as the shade's puppet, slinging around powerful spells like they were rocks.

He pieced them together carefully, learning words and gestures, though he forwent placing any power behind them; Raiha would never let him hear the end of it if he blew them all up.

So deep was he in the meditation that when the air turned cool, he didn't even notice. Raiha pulled him out by taking a small handful of water from her gourd and splashing him in the face right as he was inhaling. He choked, spluttered, and lost the rhythm he had been breathing too.

"What was _that_ for?" he demanded once he could breathe easily again.

"It's sunset," she said, pointing out at the visible sky. "Time to get moving."

She looked better for the sleep—she _felt_ better for it—and after a moment he just huffed and got to his feet, wiping the water from his face.

Link both looked and felt better for the rest himself, though his face certainly felt tender. Raiha had smoothed some sort of lotion onto his skin that seemed to help with the heat and the tautness, but it still felt uncomfortable.

They dismantled the shelter with speed and ease, and set out along the hills again as the sun finished setting in the west with a blaze of color. The night sky quickly became peppered with stars, and the air temperature dropped quickly. It wasn't necessarily more _comfortable_ than traveling during the day, but it offered a bit less danger. And as the moon rose, it turned the desert silver and deep shadowy blue.

It was one of the prettier things he'd seen in a good long while.

When they at last reached the prison complex, Raiha's steps slowed in caution. The prison had been built over the graves of many people, Hylian and Gerudo alike. Though the major enemies had been defeated long ago, that didn't hold that they would still make it through easily.

"Theoretically, we only have to make it through the first three rooms," She said after a moment as Link gaped up at the prison. "But this place is full of angry, hungry spirits, and only Nayru knows what else. It may well be that we have to fight our way through."

"How?" Link asked.

She slanted him a faint smile.

"Your sword is called the sword of evil's bane. Between your sword, and a small pinch of light that I can borrow, we _should_ be covered. Ganon's spells can also cause damage to spirits, if he can remember the correct ones."

Ganon made a face at her. She made one back. Link stifled a giggle at their antics. Even when approaching a serious situation, it seemed like there wasn't a way to keep _them_ serious for too long. He rather liked that, it let him see another side to the lady. He would admit to being a _little_ jealous as well, but at the same time, anything that could bring out the range of genuine emotion in Raiha... well, he wasn't going to whine about it.

After another moment, where Raiha checked the fit of her sword, and restrung her bow—the string and arrow both had been consumed by the fireballs, but the bow itself was made of stronger materials, and densely-packed spells—they headed into the compound.

Quicksand met them in the first room, and Raiha muttered something that made Ganon choke before she pulled out the clawshots from one of her pouches and checked for targets. One she passed to Ganon, the other she kept.

"I'll go first and make sure that the platforms aren't likely to crumble under the weight. It's been a while. Link, you may have to piggyback Ganon for the first part. All right?"

Ganon grimaced a little, uncertainly twisting the clawshot in his hands.

"I could probably _jump_ that gap."

"You _want_ to land in quicksand?" Raiha retorted.

"...no."

"Then for the moment, please do it my way. It looked like the rest can be jumped too, it's only this first gap that'll require this. So don't whine. Hold the clawshot like this," and she demonstrated, slipping her hand into the gauntlet, "and squeeze."

She had aimed for her target, the grating over the first unbroken piece of flooring. The claw at the end of the gauntlet shot out, and latched on, then pulled her across the gap with ease, allowing her to drop down onto the slowly eroding stone. It held under her, with no cracks or crumbling noises, so she waved the all-clear and jumped to the next platform.

Ganon grumbled a little, and crouched so that Link could scramble onto his back before carefully repeating what Raiha had done. With the weight of himself and Link, the grating creaked warningly; they dropped to the platform before it popped out of the wall, then followed Raiha one at a time to the far end of the room. It took all three of them to shift the remnants of the door, which had apparently cracked to pieces in the earthquake that had taken place the last time Ganon and Raiha were in the area.

The main room was cold, cold enough that breath misted out in white clouds, and the light was a dim, blue color that flickered a little eerily. Several statues had fallen over, cracking to pieces which littered the floor. Some rock sank slowly into exposed quicksand traps, and both Link and Ganon felt rather itchy at the sounds of bugs skittering across the floor and the walls. Overhead, the chandelier gave the occasional creak of warning, and Raiha glanced up to see that two of the four mooring chains had snapped, leaving the thing only half-hanging to the ceiling..

She kept her gaze mostly on the threat of falling heavy iron as they picked their way across the cold room; if those remaining chains _snapped._..

As if summoned by her thoughts, she saw the outline of a poe, it's boney fingers reaching out to touch the chain on one side.

"Don't you dare, you little prick," she snapped into the icy air, causing Ganon and Link to glance around, then up, and spot what she had seen. "I can make your undeath a _thousand_ times more unpleasant than your life in here ever was."

The poe looked down at them, and seemed to be considering. Raiha drew an arrow from her quiver, and nocked it.

"_Try me_."

The poe reached out again, and the arrow began glowing with a golden light, just before it streaked off to impact the spirit right in its chest. The shriek that followed was ear piercing, and the poe shot backwards, impaled on a glowing shaft of light. The scream ended abruptly as the power disintegrated it, and the arrow fell from the wall into the quicksand,where it swiftly vanished.

Ganon stared.

"Was that...? Did you just..?"

Raiha drew another arrow, eyes scanning the ceiling.

"Yes. It was. I did. It's my nature."

Baffled, Link looked from the softly glowing arrow in her hand to where the poe had been, then back. Something about the way the arrow glowed was familiar, and yet...

"Come on. Get across before they grow bold again. In case you hadn't noticed, the spirits aren't _friendly_ here, and I don't feel like suffering under half a ton of wrought metal."

Her words snapped the fascination; her tone was tight, angry... worried. Not afraid, just concerned. Link and Ganon hurried across the rubble while she kept her glowing arrow aimed towards the ceiling in unveiled threat against any other poes that might try anything. Only once the pair was across did she scramble the rest of the way herself.

The chains creaked threateningly, but that was all, and they were able to make it through the empty third chamber out into the midnight air again with little effort. Raiha sighed a bit in relief, and shook her head a little. The spirits were restless, no doubt annoyed. Usually they didn't test her in such a way.

"What do you mean that's your _nature_?" Ganon asked as they carefully climbed a staircase that was more broken than before.

"...Sorry Red, but that's just going to have to remain my secret for right now."

He ground his teeth in irritation, then let out a low sigh; she _had_ sounded a bit remorseful about not being able to say. And how often had the Shade plucked information from the winds? Perhaps she was right to be cautious.

The stairs were not a fun climb; more and more of them were broken, and Ganon ended up having to give both Link and Raiha a boost to get up the last batch, and having them pull him up in turn.

The former Mirror Chamber was less of a mess than the prison interior had been, though whether this was a testament to solid building or linger spells, Raiha couldn't be sure. The portal stone had cracked, but that was hardly unexpected, and there were a few heavy chunks of stone lying around, but for the most part, it seemed undamaged.

It was a good thing, she decided after a moment, that the medallion towers weren't damaged. They still stood tall and strong, and she could feel the sleeping power within.

"You two stand there," she said, pointing at the stairs. "Or sit if you need to sit."

Ganon was more than happy to flop down at the base of the steps while Raiha climbed to the top. This last bit had been more wearying, and he had the sense that getting out was going to be more difficult than getting in was. Link took a spot midway between Raiha and Ganon, taking in the sight of the chamber with curiosity. It felt sad, he finally decided. Like something very unhappy had happened here many times over, and not just to him.

Raiha let out a slow breath, and lifted a hand.

"Awaken."

Six forms blossomed from their respective towers, and floated down to ground level. The Sage constructs were as she remembered making them; Hylian shaped pieces of magic that had the consciousness to pass judgment, to reason, and to teach. They were identical in form, save for the symbols on the front of the robes that indicated which Sage was bound to which tower.

As one, they bowed to her.

"The Lady has returned,"the intoned as one. "What does the Lady wish of us?"

"I need the Sages Sword. The one that was returned after the defeat of Ganon in the past cycle."

This was the tricky part; the Sages had the mental ability to question her, and make their own value judgments on reasons. It had been one of her favorite pieces of work in making them independent thinkers who couldn't be swayed by outside forces with altered magical programming, but it could also cause her trouble if any of them were in the mood for an argument.

And sure enough, the Water Sage construct took note of the pair on the stairs, and drew back. Raiha groaned a little. Of course this couldn't be easy.

"Yes, it's for him. He needs a weapon suited to his height, and there are no Gerudo scimitar that are acquirable in the foreseeable future."

"Lady..." the Sages of Fire and Spirit looked at her searchingly. "This one is..."

"Was," she said firmly, cutting off Ganon before he could speak. "He's an ally now, and he needs to fight with us. Can't you sense it? Evil has picked a _new_ avatar, one that people cannot help but trust because who doubts their own rulers who have done so well in the past?"

The Six Sages fell silent, their attention turning outward, towards the palace. Raiha held her breath; she hadn't imbued them with a lot of power because they were meant to be judges, not executioners. But there was no way they couldn't sense that the balance of the lands had shifted.

Slowly, one by one, the Sages nodded in acquiescence. Raiha slowly let out her breath in relief.

"It is only a loan," she promised them. "It will be returned once the threat is dealt with."

There was still a marked hesitation before the glowing white sword appeared. It was not offered directly to Ganon, much to his irritation, but to Raiha, who accepted it with a sense of relief. Without another word, the constructs faded away, and Raiha walked down the steps to give the sword to Ganon.

"I could have spoken for myself," he pointed out, a little miffed.

"You could have made them more reluctant," she retorted.

"You could have ordered them to give me the sword anyways. You made them."

"They're not automatons, Ganon," she said her eyes narrowing. "I made them yes, they're constructs, yes, but they _think_. They're intelligent, and full of information, and I will be damned to the hells if I allow myself to dominate something just because I _made_ it. They were made to judge the crimes, but they were also made to _teach_, and they haven't been able to fulfill that role in a good long while!"

He reflexively hefted the sword between them, half-prepared for her to try and attack him for the unintentional insult. It was _strange,_ the things that she got touchy about. She would disintegrate a spirit with a Light Arrow, but imply that she could force her will on something she'd made and he got a tongue-lashing?

After a moment she just made an annoyed sound and sat down on the stairs.

"Go on, give the sword a test and see if it still works for you," she said, motioning at him irritably.

After a moment he obliged, pulling the glowing white blade out of the sheathe and carefully testing the weight and feel of the blade in a series of training exercises.

She wanted to call him an idiot at the top of her lungs. The Sages were not on par with the Light Spirits, but in some way, they were still her children. She had _created_ them, with the idea that they could be the impartial judging force behind people ending up in this prison.

After a long moment, she discarded her anger with a sigh, and leaned back on the stairs to look at the stars overhead. She wasn't terribly surprised when Link scooted over to sit closer to her, but when he leaned against her, she blinked, and glanced at him.

He glanced up, shrugged a little, and offered her a smile. After a moment she just sighed and leaned lightly back. It was foolish of her to let herself feel these emotions again, she knew. But the hope that was building in her chest, that tiny, flickering flame that had almost burned out, suggested that maybe this time she wouldn't be watching him die.

Her gaze slanted from Link to Ganon, and she frowned a little, contemplating. He was showing unexpected promise, even if he was a quick-tempered pain, and she was starting to like what she saw there as well. She doubted he would stay long beyond the end of what was to come, and the thought left her feeling a bit sad, albeit resolute. Ganon would have to search for a purpose after this, she knew, since he had no people to lead to glory.

She sighed after a moment, and leaned away from Link to rub her forehead. To say she had a headache, trying to keep track of all the threads of her planning was a bit of an understatement. There was freedom in not knowing, but there was also more than a bit of trouble.

Link just continued to lean against Raiha, though he watched Ganon with awe; the large man was a blur now with the white blade, old skills clearly resurfacing as he used it. The idea that Ganon would have made a formidable enemy did cross his mind, but was quickly dismissed; the three of them were friends and allies, and Raiha had taken precautions to make sure that was how things would stay.

Ganon came to a halt, grinning widely. After a moment, he glanced sidelong at Link, who looked highly impressed.

"We should spar," he said lightly.

Link started to get to his feet when Raiha's hand clamped onto his shoulder and pushed him back down.

"No," she said firmly.

"But-"

"I said _no!_" she snapped. Then she gave Ganon a look that was filled with ice. He prudently took a step back. "Don't forget who's been fighting whom for their past incarnations."

The former king winced; he _hadn't_ considered that. The idea that he, or Link, would forget that it was a friendly spar and try killing one another wasn't a pleasant one. He wondered, perhaps belatedly, if that was the reason Raiha took on Link's sword training herself; she had always been the Hero's ally, and was in no danger.

Her point made, Raiha got to her feet. Uncertainly, Link stood too, though he moved away to give her space.

"Let's not linger. The spirits are restless, the world-walls are thin. I have no desire to add suddenly emerging Twili to things I'll have to fix before too much longer. And if we give them _too_ much time, I entirely expect that metal chandelier will be between us and the exit."

Ganon and Link both grimaced at the thought; being stuck in a prison full of angry spirits was definitely not their idea of fun. Raiha smiled faintly, relaxing a bit, and nodded her agreement.

"If it's not, I'll keep watch on the ceiling. You two get through as fast as possible. All right?"

They both nodded, Ganon strapping the Sage's Sword to his back in a style much like Link's, and descended the crumbling staircase back into the chilly temple.


	12. Eleven

Eleven

Returning to Lake Hylia was easier than emerging into the desert had been. Nothing attacked them in the prison, or in the sands, for which Raiha was profoundly grateful. It took them longer to _get_ to the lake because they had no desire to see if there were only two of the giant moldorm, but they managed it before the sun crested the mountains to the east.

The immortal woman felt that she had never been so glad to get out of the desert. Ganon felt a pang of remorse, but he had to admit, albeit reluctantly, that there was nothing left for him out in those harsh sands. Whatever life was to be found, it was either beyond them, or here in Hyrule.

He wasn't sure if he liked the idea.

Worrying about speed or not, Raiha took the time for a swim, while Link and Ganon chose to remain near the shrine and rest from the long climb. She figured Ganon wouldn't bring up the sparring again—he was hot-tempered, but not stupid—so she felt little qualm about leaving them to themselves while she indulged in her version of stress therapy.

The Zora's tunic fit snug over her armor, and she dove down to the bottom of the lake, absently scanning the lakebed for any sign of her lost journals. She didn't see any sign of them, but that didn't bother her too much; the Zora were a trustworthy people, good personal allies. That hadn't changed in the intermittent years.

Eventually she sighed, and allowed herself to bob back up to the surface; there were still a handful of Zora down protecting their temple, but the rest had withdrawn to Zora's Domain. She could hardly blame them; every time some sort of cataclysm broke out, the water source, or the Zora royalty was compromised. It made her want to delay even more, to ensure that the Gorons and Zora both were not suffering. She owed them that much, didn't she?

Well, she could handle it while the boys were up in the Oocca city, retrieving some armor for Ganon. It wouldn't be the black armor from before, he wasn't built for that any more. But the Ooccaa had long stored ancient armor in seal rooms, so with luck, there would be something there for him. If not, they were going to have to take their chances; she didn't _like_ that the Shade had access to both the Triforce of Wisdom, and the Royal Archives, and the sooner she moved to fix this, the better off they would be.

It was midday when she broke through to the open air, and she made a faintly annoyed sound; she hadn't meant to spend half the day underwater... but then, perhaps the boys were all the better for the rest. She could Ganon standing outside the shrine, and cast her senses out for Link, then grinned a little to herself, and ducked back under the water; if he was going to swim, she was going to play, just a little bit.

Link _was_ swimming, in fact; the cool water felt good on his burned face, and stretching his muscles in a way that wasn't related to training or running, or climbing was good. These thoughts carried him right up until someone grabbed his ankles and started towing him along. He yelped, then started laughing; very few could do something like this, and since he could _see_ Ganon, and had befriended no Zora, that left only Raiha to zip him through the water.

It was funny, as well as fun; only when they were at the Lake had she ever really relaxed and played. Never meanly, never to frighten, just... to have some form of fun.

Ganon found himself a bit jealous as Raiha pulled Link through the water but his feet. He couldn't see her expression, but the kid looked to be having fun, and that just wasn't fair. He was going to have to learn how to swim if this kept up. Link vanished briefly underwater with a whoop, then reappeared not too far from the shore, laughing and doing his best to actually swim away from the underwater woman.

Raiha didn't allow herself to play for too long; she let Link get away after his second try, and joined him at the stairs to the shrine. But she felt more relaxed than she had since the mess began, and that was certainly something.

"So, will I be getting armor any time soon?" Ganon asked dryly, sitting at the top of the stairs, well away from the water.

"Yes and no," she replied, unpinning her braid and wringing the water out of it. "The armor from the last time you were killed it made to fit someone who's about eight feet tall. You're about two feet too short to wear it properly, plus,it's stored at the palace as a fairly intimidating relic. _But_, the Occa city houses a decently sized armory if you can reach it. There ought to be something there for you to use."

"All right... so how do we get there?"

"You get there with these,"and she pulled out the clawshots from her pouch again, "and that."

And she pointed at the cannon sitting on the shore,not too far from where they were sitting. Ganon eyed her dubiously.

"_That_ is gonna get us to this city?"

"Yup. That's going to get you to the city."

Link had not missed the specific way Raiha was saying things, and knew exactly why; she had said as much a few weeks back when the plan had first been proposed. Oocca City, whatever that was, was too high for the lady to visit. It meant Link and Ganon would be on their own again.

He felt a faint thrill of excitement and pleasure. He liked the Gerudo male, even when he was arguing with the lady over something, and fighting beside him was definitely an adventure. He picked up one of the clawshots, and bounced to his feet, earning him a faintly pleased smile from Raiha, and a dry one from Ganon.

"What're you going to do?" Link asked as they headed for the cannon.

"Mmn? Oh. Check on the Zora, check on the Gorons. Make sure nothing's exploding in Kakariko."

Link winced; Eimilee Barnes definitely did have a habit of blowing things up. She was a good bomb maker just a bit... enthusiastic at times. Ganon looked vaguely affronted.

"You're leaving us on our own again?"

"I told you; I don't do heights."

"You did heights when you almost killed me."

"That's... different. Seeing the ground doesn't _help_ when it comes to looking down, but at least I know how long I'll be falling and have a chance at calculating how much landing is going to make me wish I'd just died. Up there..."

Raiha shuddered, absently hugging herself briefly. She remembered the Oocca city too well, and the paralytic fear that came with it. Given a choice, she preferred to keep her feet on the ground. _Heavily_.

"I can't. Besides," and her voice turned brisk as she dropped her arms back to her sides, "you shouldn't need me anyways. There's always at least one Oocca who can speak Hylian, and they'll guide you to the armory. Quite enthusiastically too, I expect, since that stuff has been up there for as long as they have, and it's only gathering dust."

"What makes you so sure that anything will be of use?"

"Last time I managed to get up the strength to go, I pumped more magic into the spells. So there should be something of use up there. Chainmail, at the very least. If I'm wrong and there's nothing..." she sighed and shrugged a little. "Well, I'll talk to the Gorons while I make sure Kakariko hasn't exploded. They might have something. They're the best blacksmiths in all of Hyrule."

He wasn't entirely satisfied by that answer, but let it drop as a mischievous idea flickered through his thoughts.

"The cannon can only handle one at a time, considering the size of the second passenger," Raiha said dryly, mostly aimed at Link. "Your landing spot will be dampened by a pool of water, but it'll still sting, so I recommend wearing these."

She pulled off her Zora tunic, and passed it to Link,then fished out a second one from her pouches and passed it to Ganon.

"That way, even if you're stunned and sink down, you'll be able to breathe. When you've found something useful, there's a cannon up there that will send you back down to the lake. Which stings. Don't think it won't, even with Nayru's Love."

"What about you?" Link asked curiously. "How are you going to be able to swim with the Zora if you don't have one?"

Raiha smiled a little, touched by his concern.

"Don't worry. I have my ways."

Link looked at her uncertainly, but she seemed untroubled, so he decided not to press. If she had a way, then she had a way, and she was stubborn anyways.

The cannon was tall enough to be a small house on its own, and had the _strangest_ base he'd ever seen. It almost looked like a pair of cuckoo legs were attached to the cannon! At the back of it, where a person would normally load the ball and the shot powder, was a grate.

"Use the clawshot to grab the grating; it's pressure sensitive, so once you land inside, it'll fire. Keep your arms at your sides, close your eyes, and tuck your head. Put the Zora tunic on first."

Link obeyed without question, stripping off the green tunic and replacing it with the blue one she'd given him. Ganon struggled a little to get into his before the magic recognized he was a different size, and adjusted to fit.

Raiha nodded faintly at the both of them, silently admitting that blue suited Link, but not really Ganon. Then she snapped her fingers, and grabbed Link's arm before he could fire his clawshot.

"Right, almost forgot. The winds up there are _dangerously_ strong. You're going to need what's in this pouch."

Instead of pulling out the Iron Boots—which were really quite heavy and difficult—she simply unfastened the pouch in which she carried them, and handed it over.

"Unfortunately, I only have the one pair, so you're gonna have to hope your larger mass holds you down, Gan."

"Is that your way of calling me fat?" he asked, giving her a look.

She just smirked at him, then turned to watch Link.

"You remember how I showed Ganon how to work this? Arm in here. Hand here. Aim. Squeeze. Release."

Link obeyed her instructions, and squawked as the chain shot forward, and yanked him behind. The stop clamped down behind him and he yelped again at the cannon _moved_, nearly knocking him over. The yelp turned into a panicked cry as he was shot off into the sky.

Raiha raised a hand, and watched him flail slightly until he was out of sight, then shook her head in sympathy as the cannon settled back into position again. Ganon just stared.

"What? Scared of the Sky Cannon?" Raiha asked, her tone light. "It's certainly an interesting rush to be shot _from_ a cannon, especially the first time. You should be fine. He will be."

"...this is absolutely insane," Ganon muttered, temporarily putting aside his mischievous thoughts. "Going to the Gorons might be saner."

"But slower. Relax. Link did it, and he doesn't have the benefit of knowing Nayru's Love."

He groaned slightly, as a wicked grin blossomed across her face; reminding him of the spell's name was entirely too entertaining some days. After a moment, she made a shooing motion at him.

"Get going. It's armor for _you_, after all."

He eyed her, then the opening to the canon.

"...how do I do this again?"

Raiha narrowed her eyes at him, and he put on his most convincing look of aggravated confusion, which she would have expected more than just plain confusion. Asking for help annoyed him, after all, but if he was going to pull of this mischief, he needed her to stand closer than she was.

After a moment she sighed, and moved closer, sliding the clawshot carefully onto his hand.

"Aim. Squeeze. Release."

Having her so close was an _awful_ distraction, he almost obeyed without a second thought for what he'd intended. At the last second, he managed to regain some measure of wit, and grabbed her around the waist with his free arm, yanking them both into the cannon. He had caught her entirely off guard, and she was given no chance to react before the cannon spat them both into the sky.

To her surprise, betrayal was her first feeling, sharp and painful. It was quickly smothered under the fury, and she spent the upward streak of the arc swearing at him in all the languages she knew, the wind tearing them away before he could hear. Angry as she was, she didn't dare to push him away; bad enough to be going to the Oocca city, worse would be missing because her shove forced them off the proper trajectory. _She_ would survive, though it would take her weeks to heal, even if she managed to become enveloped in Lanayru's spring. Him? He'd die from the fall.

Feeling their arc slow, as gravity reasserted its hold, fury became fear. She _hated_ the Oocca city, its crumbling structures, and complicated mass of magically sustained wind turbines. She didn't hate the people who lived there, they were kind and understanding, but goddesses blessing, how she hated the city.

The fear was not so bad as they descended towards the water pool that would be their landing; she could see, in one panicked glance, the sunlight making the water glimmer. She could still turn it to anger, could still use it for energy to keep going. It wouldn't last, but if she could hold out just long enough for Link to take her back _down_...

She twisted in Ganon's hold, calling forth the shield spell of Nayru's Love in layers to ablate the worst of the landing. Ganon made a sound of protest that the rushing winds ripped away as he ended up on his back in the fall towards the pool. The landing, eased though it was, still stunned him enough that he sank in the water, his grip on Raiha loosened enough that she could pop back up to the surface, and look for the Hero.

Her mind always turned panicky up here; it was hard to think, hard to focus. There was no sign of Link, and her heart jumped up into her throat as she swam for the stairs, leaving Ganon to regain his senses on his own. He had a Zora tunic, he wouldn't drown, though a small part of her was very tempted to stab him for this.

She had come to the correct set of stairs; at the far end she could see the lone shop that the Oocca still tended to, still stocked for the rare Hylian visitor. The waist-high wall had more gaps in it now, wider ones, and she winced at the sudden gust of wind that tore through, sending small flecks of dirt and stone out into the open air. Had Link been caught unawares by the wind? Was he even now falling, hoping she would save him?

Her fingers gripped the top edge of the step tightly as she fought to sublimate the fear into anger. Anger was useful, if kept in check. The fear though... the fear would paralyze her. She had to move _before_ that happened, or she would be entirely useless.

As the wind died down, she managed to force herself to stand on shaking legs, hugging the left side of the path. If she times it right, she could run from spot to spot, and take shelter from the angry winds against the remnants of the wall.

The part of her mind that wasn't succumbing to the panic wondered how she would be able to trust Ganon after this. She had said, _she had said_ that she couldn't handle heights. So _why_ had he done this? To see her fall apart? To see her at her weakest?

Before she could take her first step, the door at the opposite end of the pathway, and Link walked carefully—and slowly—out. The Iron Boots made distinctive, clanging footfalls, and Raiha felt relief rush through her, briefly—dangerously—canceling out the fear. He was all right.

Reckless in her relief, she forgot to listen for the winds; she scrambled forward in an effort to get to Link, to beg him to take her back down to the ground where she would not have to be afraid any longer... and the wind caught her.

Ganon had managed to regain his wits, and pull himself out in time to watch the winds all but throw her over the side. Link almost tripped over the weight of the iron boots as he lunged to grab her; he could see the fear on her face, open and plain as day, and felt the first stirrings of anger towards Ganon. How _dare_ he bring Raiha up into the sky when she had very plainly spelled out that it wouldn't be a good idea?!

Her hands flashed out at the last second to grab at the crumbling stone wall she had almost reached, halting her impromptu flight, though the wind still tore at her for long moments more. Link smacked the release catch on the boots even before the wind had fully died, and lunged forward properly this time, grabbing her wrist with both hands and straining to pull her back onto the path.

Ganon hurried forward to help, and the two men hauled the shaking, terrified woman back up onto the path, and dubious safety. Guilt rushed through the former king as he saw just how badly his prank had backfired. Raiha's skin was bleached of color, her eyes wide and unfocused. She was shaking so hard that when they got her onto the path, she simply collapsed, burying her face in Link's shoulder, and holding onto him as though her life depended on it.

Link had never been in a position to offer comfort to Raiha before, but he got the sense that he knew what would do the best. As Ganon backed away towards the water pool, Link shifted position so that he and Raiha were snugly protected from the winds by the wall at his back, and he just held her. It scared _him_ to see this brave, strong woman crumble so completely with terror, and it angered him as well. Yelling at Ganon was starting to feel like a good idea.

His hands carefully moved up and down Raiha's back in a soothing manner, and he cautiously rested his cheek against her hair waiting patiently for her tremors to ease enough so that he could coax her into standing. It hurt, a little; Raiha was much stronger than she looked. But he wasn't going to complain, not when she was so plainly unable to help it.

It didn't take him long to figure out that if she stayed up there, or even _out_ in winds, she was not going to be able to calm down. Every time the wind rushed through clearly indicated that. So he waited for the wind to fade before clearing his throat a little.

"Lady...?" Gingerly he prodded her shoulder. "Lady Raiha?"

She shifted a little against his newly dampened shoulder; her tears he assumed, since the wind had stripped the moisture from his tunic on the first pass over the path. She could hear him, at least...

"I need to get the boots..."

She shook her head a little, hands fisting tighter into his tunic. He hugged her firmly in response, which got a small squeak of breath from her. Under other circumstances, it might've been amusing, mostly he just hoped it was reassuring.

"I'll come back, Raiha. I promise."

It felt... strange. To not use the title before her name. But also familiar. She had always protested being called 'lady' but it had never seemed quite right to abandon the title in favor of just her name. Even now it didn't feel quite right, but he had the sense that it was the only way he was going to be able to calm her down.

Slowly, she lifted her head from his shoulder, and he tried not to wince. She was still so pale, her eyes so fearful, and now red-rimmed from her crying. Seeing her like this sparked other memories, of lives long past. There weren't many, thank all the goddesses, but the few times he had seen her so afraid stuck out like a sort thumb. Mostly because, even without the benefit of the Triforce of Courage, Raiha was _brave_. Sometimes stupidly so.

Cautiously, he put a hand on her cheek, and she leaned into the touch, seeking solace and comfort. It made his heart ache.

"I have to get the boots," he said again, quietly. "And then we can go back down to Lake Hylia, where you'll be safe again. Okay?"

It took effort to make herself let him go. The fear had eclipsed all else; plans, anger, even the feeling of betrayal. All she wanted in that single moment was to be held, to be told that she would be _safe_, that everything would be fine.

Finally, she managed to unfold from Link's embrace, huddling herself into as small a frightened ball as she could, flinching hard as another strong gust of wind whipped through the gaps in the stone. Link made sure to keep his hand on one of her arms until the wind died down, then rushed to grab and drag the iron boot frames back with him.

Ganon watched silently, a little bleakly. He'd really gone and bungled it this time. He'd expected her to be angry at him, to yell, maybe even a hard shove or a smack, and then she would deal with the fear as she had done in the Mirror Chamber. He hadn't thought to see her fall apart like this. He doubted she would be willing to trust him fully after this, and how he was going to make up for it, he wasn't sure.

So he watched as Link strapped the boots onto his feet and tried to coax Raiha into standing. After her second failure Link carefully picked her up, straining a little at the weight of her. Ganon shifted restlessly; he could have handled her weight with ease. _Should_ have handled her weight with ease. But the expression on Link's face as he lifted first one foot, then the other in a ponderous, clanging walk, suggested that Ganon's presence was not welcomed at the moment. It made him wince slightly again, and move farther to the side of the stairs in the pool. Not only had he possibly broken Raiha, he had pissed off the reincarnated hero. That wouldn't end well at all.

Link made slow, careful progress across the stone bridge, Raiha bundled into his arms. Her face was pressed against his neck, and he could feel her short, panicky breaths stirring the hairs at the back of his neck. He shifted a little, trying to block the wind as it rushed through again; fortunately between the solid weight of the boots and the weight of Raiha herself, there was no danger of an unexpected fall.

He ignored Ganon, hitting the release catch on the boots as he made it to the pool and leaving them on the bottom step. He was angry at the other man, and felt that if he looked, he would be compelled to stop and,if not yell, then loudly express his opinion of the situation, which wouldn't do Raiha any good.

The flight down was unpleasant, to say the least; he kept his eyes closed for most of it. At the last moment he felt layers of a shield spring into place, ablating their speed as they hit the water. Raiha looked a bit more coherent when they bobbed back to the surface; some color had returned to her skin, and her shaking had faded into small shivers. He still supported her over to the steps leading up to Lanaryu's shrine, and sat with her until she heaved a final, shuddering sigh, and managed to sit up on her own.

Concerned for her as he was, he couldn't help but feel the lack of the warm weight where her head had rested on his shoulder.

"...are you going to be all right?" he asked quietly.

Raiha nodded after a moment, and gave him a tiny, trembling smile.

"Thank you," she said quietly. "It means a great deal that you stayed with me. You certainly didn't... have to..."

Link blushed a little.

"I couldn't just.. leave you, Raiha. It wouldn't have been right." He hesitated, then reached out and carefully brushed his fingers over her face. She leaned into the touch, eyes half-closing. "Do you need me to stay longer?"

She hesitated. It would have been easy, _so_ easy, to say yes. Her hand crept up to rest on his, prolonging the moment, but eventually she sighed and shook her head.

"That idiot needs a guide up there. His pride won't let him ask for help the way you do. I just need to rest and recover."

Link studied her for a further long moment, the nodded in understanding. It made her smile, a little more relaxed than she had been even a moment before. As he started to get to his feet, she caught his wrist, making him pause. He bent when she tugged, then turned a very cute shade of red when she kissed his cheek.

"I mean it. Thank you."

Pleased, and feeling suddenly very shy as new thoughts intruded that he had never considered before, he straightened when she released his arm, and moved towards the Sky cannon once more. Raiha watched with a wince as he fumbled his first attempt by being too flustered, then managed to launch back into blue oblivion on his second try.

She sat there on the stairs for some time, just listening to the silence around her that wasn't _really_ silent. The softer whisper of wind that caused ripples across the water; the slight slapping sound as the water met the stairs. The faint call of birds that wheeled through the sky overhead.

As the sky overhead began to darken, she retreated into the shrine of Lanayru; she needed the help of her children to fully restore the strength that had been stolen from her in her utter terror.

The silent treatment, Ganon decided, was entirely deserved. It was also highly annoying. Link hadn't even bothered to let him try and explain himself upon returning, he'd simply pulled out the map he'd gotten from the Oocca shop, strapped on the iron boots so that the wind wouldn't be able to push him back, and started walking. The thumping clang of the boots expressed the opinion quite clearly; he wasn't interested in talking.

Ganon had followed with more caution. As Raiha had theorized, his extra weight meant that he could brace more solidly than she could against the brutal winds.

Thinking of her made the guilt worse. The silent but plain disapproval Link exuded with every step really didn't help either.

Portions of the walk were indoors, much to Link's relief. The iron boots were heavy for a reason, and he was glad to have them—looking down gave him pause and even made him dizzy, so he tried to avoid it as best he could—but they most certainly made his legs ache like nothing else. Not even learning to ride a horse had brought this much strain.

It did help him keep his temper, however. The steady, subtle ache and constant checking of the map kept him from having to look in the direction of the taller man, and Ganon himself hadn't tried yet to break the silence that was thick with tension.

Raiha's prediction about a lack of enemies had been fairly correct. Most of the creatures in the Sky City, Celestia as the Oocca he'd met with called it, were less than interested in the two men, so long as they kept their distance. And finally finding the marked armory was enough to temporarily diffuse the situation; there was so _much_ in the armory that Link found himself browsing in curious fascination.

Ganon browsed with caution and care; the air was thick with dust, and the feel of strong magic; Raiha's magic, if she'd been telling the truth. He scowled at himself after a moment, brushing aside dust and cobwebs from a suit of plate; was there anything he could say that would let her forgive him for what he'd thought would be a harmless prank, or would she be unable to trust him, and refuse to share any more of her time and knowledge?

From across the room, Link sneezed as he shook out the dust from an ancient banner, grabbing Ganon's guilty thoughts. Not a word had passed between them yet; Ganon didn't know what to say. Any defense he cobbled in his mind sound feeble; Raiha had stated very plainly that she was not able to be up in this city. He should have listened.

He stepped away from the plate; it was too encumbering. He needed, wanted, something lighter. Something that would allow him to move around with ease and speed, as a Gerudo ought.

It brought a faint, bitter smile to his face; his women had never needed to use armor. Their speed had been the stuff of legends, and their stealth had allowed them to get in and out, usually without any need for confrontation. His armor had almost always been an affectation of the Shade, made more from magic than from any real materials.

Dragging his mind back to the moment, he brushed away dust from another stand of armor, pausing thoughtfully before it. It was definitely not sized to him, but he could picture Raiha wearing it with ease. Then he considered her preference for chain and sighed a little. She could, but there was no way she _would_.

After a moment, he picked up the headpiece that went with the armor and pocketed it anyways. It felt of magic, and she had no helmet; maybe it would protect her head and neck. He hoped it would, anyways; even if she was angry at him—and with good reason to be—he was still more fond of the idea of her alive. And it was pretty, the metal a red-gold that would pair well with her hair and a stone that shifted colors in the light.

"You shouldn't have done that."

Ganon flinched a little; Link's tone was entirely too accusatory for his liking. It was tempting to be flippant and act like the kid had meant just taking the headpiece, but he knew better.

Instead, Ganon sighed.

"No. I shouldn't have."

The response was vaguely mollifying; Link had half-expected Ganon to gloat over how frightened Raiha had been. Instead, looking full at the Gerudo male, he could see that Ganon felt the weight of heavy guilt. Which was good.

"Why did you? She said it loud and clear."

Ganon shrugged a little helplessly, turning to another suit that looked like it might fit.

"I didn't believe her," he finally said, wiping dust away from stiff, dark leather. "Some part of me expected this to be another test, I guess. More time wasted proving myself and trying to find out what her expectations of me are. I... I thought if she came with, then she would be better able to judge."

Link eyed him a little suspiciously. After a moment, Ganon sighed, raking a hand through his hair.

"And a part of me wanted to know how bad it could be. I didn't think it would be _that_ bad. I figured she'd be pissed off, I might get... I don't know, maybe stabbed at the worst? Not... not that. I doubt she'll trust me after this. Serves me right."

The blond nodded a little, and seemed satisfied with the response; the tension in the room eased a little. It made Ganon feel a little better, though not by much; while incarnations of Link could hold severe grudges with the proper motivation, this was the first time he'd had the chance to witness the building of a grudge that would have made more of a difference. He hadn't _meant_ to start liking the kid any more than he'd meant to start giving a damn about whether Raiha lived or died, but in both respects his own mind and heart had become fond of them.

"...she'll forgive you," Link said after a moment, prodding curiously at an ornamental gauntlet. Who made gauntlets with gold plating anyways? "Eventually."

Ganon snorted a little morosely and finished buffing the dust from the leather before moving on without actually looking at the armor. It was strange to realize that cleaning off the grime was more a nervous habit than from any sort of vested interested.

Eventually, as the sun traded places with the moon and the light inside the armory became magical instead, he found a decent looking suit of chainmail, made of differently colored metals, patterned in such a way as to remind him heavily of Gerudo designs. It only took a little wriggling to get into the stuff, after pulling his borrowed Zora tunic off, and came with a set of vambrace and shinguards in stiff leather, embossed with the same symbols.

It wasn't much, but it felt like home to him.

He hesitated over the headpiece; he hadn't worn a forehead jewel once since his emergence into this world, and there were times where his head had felt rather bare for the lack of it. After a long moment of cautious thought, he pulled the headpiece off the stand and attached it to his head, burying the gold wire in his red hair and using just a touch of magic to keep it in place. It was probably a silly affectation, but it felt comfortable to wear something there once more.

Link had been watching him, he realized as he pulled the Zora's tunic back over his head. There was wariness flickering in those blue eyes, and Ganon got the sense he was fighting back against a tied of memories. Gingerly the Gerudo touched the forehead jewel, rethinking the idea. Yet, he couldn't manage to make himself take it off. His people were gone, his culture was gone... but he wanted this one last reminder of what had once been, damnit.

After a moment, he just shook his head a little, and strapped on the shinguards, though the vambrace gave him trouble; the leather was stiff—either from not being worn or from lack of use—and getting the buckles to behave one-handed was difficult. He almost jumped a foot when Link's hands came into view to help.

"Sorry," the blond seemed a little sheepish. "I thought you heard me coming."

Ganon snorted a little.

"Me? I'm too busy kicking myself to notice other things."

"...if you kick too hard, you won't leave anything for... Raiha to do."

Ganon blinked, then raised an eyebrow at Link. The boy had plainly meant it more as a tease than an insult, but what was intriguing was the lack of title. Had his insensitivity kick-started something between the two of them?

After a moment he gave a mental shrug; if it had, well, maybe that was good. While most of his memories were muddled, he could remember very clearly the genuine affection, if not outright love, that Raiha had always given to the Hero. And if that made him feel a pang of jealousy, well, it was his own damn fault, wasn't it? Earning back her trust was going to be an effort all on its own, getting _feelings_ mixed up in things was just a bad idea.

"We should probably rest up here," Link said once he'd finished securing the second vambrace. "It's late, and if we wake her up, her mood won't be the best."

"Sounds like the voice of experience," Ganon said a little wryly.

Link rubbed the back of his neck sheepishly, but didn't elaborate. After a moment, Ganon just nodded; spending the night up here would also give him a chance to rehearse an apology, which just might catch her off guard enough to forgo retaliation.

Hopefully.


	13. Twelve

Twelve

It was early afternoon by the time Link and Ganon splashed down in Lake Hylia, and swam for Lanaryu's shrine. Most of the morning had been spent with Ganon adjusting to the new weight of his armor choices, and—to his chagrin—being taught how to swim. The water pool had certainly been more than deep enough to facilitate those lessons, though it was going to take more than one lesson for him to be anything other than a clumsy swimmer.

She was waiting for them at the entrance to the shrine, her air of calm confidence restored, though after only a glance at him, she turned her attention to Link.

"You family is fine. Kakariko is fine. You did well to keep the troubles of the rest of Hyrule to yourself. The Gorons are fine too, Eldin ablated enough of the dark magic that the mountain only spit a few angry stones instead of many."

Link let out a relieved sigh, and flopped down on the stairs so he could change his tunic. Ganon hesitated, but before he could get a word out, she gave him her full attention.

"Your ass is lucky I don't have the time to nurse a grudge, otherwise I'd ignore you for the next century," she told him, ice coating her voice. "If you ever do something like that again, I will stab you."

He winced a little.

"So I suppose attempting an apology won't help?" he asked cautiously.

Raiha blinked, then gave him a suspicious stare. Ganon dug into the pouch where he'd stuffed the headpiece and offered it to her. She barely glanced at it before eyeing him with renewed suspicion.

"I screwed up."

"Yes. You did."

"I can't fix it immediately."

"No. You can't."

He was at a loss for words; she hadn't been _this_ angry since their first meeting. He wasn't any more sure now than he had been then about how to handle it. He pushed the headpiece at her again, wishing she would just hit him, or yell, or _something_ that wasn't this icy cold calm.

"I found this and thought you might like it," he muttered, looking away from her to the path that would take them up to the plains. "It's... if you won't accept it as an apology, maybe a peace offering?"

Raiha's frown grew more pronounced, and Link winced a little. Maybe he'd been _wrong_ when he'd said Raiha would forgive Ganon...he'd never know the lady to hold a grudge before, but then, there was always a first time for everything. He hoped that Raiha _would_ accept the gift; he didn't like seeing Ganon looking subdued any more than he liked Raiha in a temper. It just seemed... _wrong_.

After a long, wary moment, she looked down at the stone, and drew in a sharp breath.

"Where did you find this?"she asked, hostility leaking from her voice.

"It was on a stand of armor, covered in dust. Looked like something you'd wear... the armor, I mean. And this."

Raiah's face was carefully neutral; after a long moment she took the headpiece from him and put it on,shivering a little at the damp touch of metal to her sun-warmed skin. Energy whispered through her, and the sense of the familiar; so, her Sages Stone and no doubt the armor too, had been up in the Oocca city this whole time. No wonder she'd never been able to find it.

She was almost tempted to make him go and get the rest of it, but the Sages Stone was really the important part; it had the power of the six sages of old, and would be a welcome boost in the fight to come.

"...and here I was prepared to stay annoyed," she sighed a little, aggravated. "You had to ruin that by being genuinely apologetic."

Ganon glanced at her carefully, then let himself smile faintly. Maybe not friends, but back on non-hostile territory. He'd take that.

"Well, it seemed the fastest way to avoid getting thrown in the lake," he retorted, perhaps a little cheekily.

"...the thought has crossed my mind." After a moment she just shook her head, and the stone flickered as it caught the light. "All right. Enough. We're armed. Armored. And as prepared as we're going to get. Now..."

She turned, and looked up in the direction of the decimated Castle Town market. Humor and mirth fled, and a grim anticipation took their place.

"Now we have something else to do."

Link got to his feet with a quick nod, and Ganon felt some small anticipation of his own. The shade would not be able to retake him. It wouldn't be able to touch _any_ of them.

"You have a plan?" he asked.

Raiha nodded.

"Gonna share?"

"No."

"Why not?"

"Because in order for it to work, it has to stay with me."

Ganon grumbled slightly, but dropped the matter, and the three of them made their way up from the lake. Overhead, the sky began to darken, gray clouds covering the sun as they drew closer to what was left of the town.

The monsters had mostly scattered out to the plains, and the few encountered within the bound of the town were weak, and quick to scamper. Ganon assumed they were going back to the sewer entrance, but when Raiha led them to the central square, he paused.

"Are we just going to knock on the front door, then?" he asked a little sardonically.

"Yes, actually," Raiha replied, not slowing.

"What?!"

Now she stopped, turning to face him rather impatiently.

"We're as ready as we'll ever be, and it's _waiting_ for us. Or didn't you notice the color of the sky?" She made a quick gesture upwards with her hand, and Ganon grimaced a little at the threatening clouds. "The shade knows we're coming. It's being ever so helpful at setting the scene. And if it's still got a thing for theatrics, it'll take place in the throne room, same as last time, so even if we snuck into the palace, we'd still have to find our way up there, and we'd end up losing the element of surprise _anyways_."

"But coming at it from the front..."

"If there's still guards living in there, I will be surprised," and her voice was faintly sad. "It's more likely we'll be fighting whatever the shade turned the people into, and we're armed. We have magic. You two have Triforce pieces. I think we'll be _fine_."

Ganon wanted to continue protesting, but had to admit that she did have a point. He had remembered enough spells to be more than lethal, and he had the Sages sword if he didn't want to cast. Link had the Master Sword, and Raiha had a thousand tricks and traps up her sleeve. She had that look about her, as though she was calculating every possible outcome.

Link flashed him a very brief, rueful smile as the continued on through the silent city. He'd wanted to ask, but it was easier for him to simply trust Raiha to know what she was doing than it was to wonder aloud and bother her with questions. And right now he didn't doubt that they would be a bother instead of welcome as they usually were.

The shield over the castle dissipated as they approached, thunder growling low in the distance.

"Welcoming us in. How polite," Ganon growled slightly.

"Well, let's not be slow to the party then," Raiha replied, unsheathing her blade. "Coming boys?"

In reply, Link and Ganon both pulled their swords out as well, and they crossed the bridge ready for anything to jump out at them. It was almost disappointing that the only thing that happened was the return of the barrier, sealing them within. No creatures climbed the bridge, no monsters burst forth from the courtyard to intercept them. But there was also no signs of any guardsmen to stymie their progress. When tested, the entrance into the palace was even unlocked.

Raiha pushed the door open carefully, Link and Ganon on her heels as they entered into the receiving hall of the palace. It was silent and dark, cold and unwelcoming. The air was teeming with dark magics; Raiha could feel the echoes of agony, and bit her lower lip to keep silent.

A door creaked nearby, just once, very slowly. Raiha nodded lightly in the direction of the door, and the pair followed after her, occasionally stumbling over some overturned obstacle hidden by the shadows.

The darkness and silence had an oppressive weight to them, one that Ganon couldn't help but be uncomfortable with; he could all too easily imagine the fire-hot voice of the shade as it whispered through his bones, retaking its place in his mind and body where it had lived for so long. Ice trailed down his spine at the thought; gods, he would rather die than allow himself to be possessed again.

Link absently bumped him with his elbow, abruptly reminding Ganon that Raiha had ensured there would _be_ no repossession. No possession of Link either. No doubt she had herself protected too... but how would they fight Zelda? Killing the princess and condemning her to the cycle of rebrith as evil didn't seem like something Raiha would do. And he knew of no way to _actually_ kill the shade anyways.

The corridor was silent and dark, and ended in a set of carpeted stairs. Raiha studied the stairs for a moment, then sheathed her sword.

"One at a time,"she murmured. "I'll whistle when I reach the top."

Ganon wanted to protest, but kept silent; of the three of them, her reflexes were indeed the fastest, and she had already proven to know the palace the best. So he watched with unfeigned reluctance as she slowly made her way up the stairs, practically on her hands and knees until she rounded the curve and was out of sight.

It didn't take long for the fighting to start and the clash was evident even all the way at the bottom of the steps. Link and Ganon didn't bother with stealth, or who would be first, they just skipped stairs as fast as they could to get to the top, where there were enough animated suits of armor for all of them to fight.

Link was the first to figure out how to beat the armor, and he did so entirely by accident. A lucky strike with the Master Sword clipped a dark gem at the apex of the helmet, and the thing staggered backwards. Following through his training, he kept attacking, and his next strike shattered the stone into dust, which caused the armor to collapse into pieces. Ganon and Raiha were quick to emulate, and soon enough three suits of armor lay in pieces along the second story hallway.

Raiha gave him a fierce grin in lieu of wordy congratulations, and Link blushed a bit. Ganon seemed rather pleased himself, and lightly twirled his sword in one hand before looking farther down the hall. The darkness there was broken intermittently by torchlight, highlighting paintings of what looked to be former leaders of Hyrule. A few kings, but mostly various Queen Zeldas from time long past.

From behind them came a faint click, and the sound of metal sliding against metal. Raiha turned, blade raised in preparation for another fight, then muttered a curse at seeing the woven chain portcullis that had dropped to block their retreat.

"What a pushy host," she said after a moment. "There had better be guest rooms for resting in."

"And food," Ganon added. "Wine wouldn't go amiss either."

"I'd prefer water," Link said a little sheepishly.

Raiha smiled wryly; her boys certainly knew how to take a joke and run with it. It was heartening. Also comforting; she hadn't thought either of them would follow along with her cynical sense of humor that well.

After a moment the three of them continued on down the hall, Raiha in the lead. She kept her ears pricked for any sounds in the tunnels, which were close by. She remembered full well which painting would open up to let them in, but she was denying her usual theatrics herself; this was the time for stealth of a different sort, and her plan lay ready and workable in her mind. It hinged now on the two trailing her, though she had to admit it wouldn't matter much if they agreed or not. Still, she hoped they would; it would be easier.

The door at the end of the hallway was locked shut, and blocked by another chain portcullis. It was tempting, so very tempting, to let Ganon fireball it into ashes, or to do it herself. She was fairly sure that once Zelda was free again she'd agree that a few doors were a fair price to pay for her life. But still. No point in wanton destruction.

"Watch the corridor," she said, crouching down to get a better look at the lock. "If anything comes down it, I don't care who or what it looks like, you kill it."

Link and Ganon both blinked at the finality in her tone, then nodded, and moved a little ways down the hall to better prevent an ambush. Perhaps naturally, nothing happened until the lock gave way with a loud click, at which point the ceiling on either side of the door exploded, dropping tile and wood, as well as a dozen Stalkin and one Stalfos. From the other end of the hall, beyond one of the paintings, a half dozen lizalfos jumped in as well.

Link immediately headed back towards Raiha, concern flaring through him when he realized he couldn't see her moving around through the dust. And then there was no more time to look as they spotted him and converged.

Ganon stayed where he was, using his longer reach to easily spear the lizalfos who sprang too close, and his weight to bear down on them as necessary. He was concerned about Raiha as well, but if she was hurt, they would have known it by now; he couldn't imagine her being _quiet_ about getting injured so close to the end goal, after all.

He was not wrong either; Raiha joined the fight with the stalkin once the worst of the dust had cleared, and was quick to mow them down while Link struggled with the stalfos, barely managing to block a blow that would have cut across his ribs and probably broken a few at the least. Raiha glanced towards him as she distracted the stalkin, frowned, and then cursed.

"You _center_," she snapped. "Get into it!"

The barked command he'd heard so many times helped bring about the wave of calm from which everything, including time itself, seemed to slow. He ducked, and used his shield to knock away the stalfos' shield, stabbing into the center mass of the skeletal creature. Skill and luck combined to have him sever the spine, and the thing crumbled into ash and dust. He turned to offer help to Raiha, but she shook her head and gestured with her free hand in the direction of Ganon, who still had three of the six lizalfos trying their best to kill him.

Link nodded, and went to help his friend. Instinct warned Ganon of the approach of the sword that had killed him more than once in the past, and he jumped to the right as Link lunged in to attack the lizalfos on his left. As Link took that one on, easing the pressure against the former king, he managed to force the two remaining on the defensive, before quickly dodging left as Raiha came in on his other side. She wasn't _laughing_, but he had the sense of fierce joy, and spent a moment neglecting his own defense to watch her fight.

Only a moment because the remaining lizalfos came after him in his distraction, and he was forced to concoct a hasty defense. _Now_ he heard Raiha laugh, and grunted in annoyance because she was laughing at _him_. The Sages sword in his hand glowed brightly as he locked blades with his oponent, then drew on the Triforce of Power to fling the creature into the opposite wall with a loud crack.

Raiha killed hers in the same moment, and Link's fell ten seconds after that. Silence settled around them again, cut by their own harsh breathing, and after a moment Raiha pulled water skins from one of her pouches, and passed them around. She used half of hers cleaning the dust from her face, then carefully swallowed the rest, and set the skin aside; there was no chance of refilling it here, and it was a little less weight to carry.

Link and Ganon both emulated her, washing away sweat and lizalfos blood before they drank the water down.

"Well, at least we don't have to say this was _easy_," Ganon said after a moment.

"No one in their right mind will ever say doing this is easy," Raiha replied, unpinning, then repinning her hair more securely. "Nayru knows it's not."

Link nodded a little as he rolled his shoulders to resettle his chainmail. The adrenaline of the fight was wearing off now, and he could feel the hits he'd taken; bruises blossoming under his armor. Ganon was no different, his forearm hadn't appreciated that particular block, even with the vambrace to help take the hit.

"This door will lead us out to the terrace and the stairs third floor," Raiha said, motioning to the door she'd unlocked. "We'll have to climb interior stairs to get to the fourth floor, and after that it's another trip outside to make it to the throne room."

"So,we're halfway there?" Link asked.

"...pretty much."

"All right then," Ganon said, absently touching the jewel on his forehead for luck. "Let's get moving before the shade thinks we've decided to take a nap and sends something more challenging at us."

Raiha snorted a little and pushed the door open, leading them outside. It was starting to drizzle now, and every now and again thunder would rumble lowly overhead. Ganon glanced up cautiously, as did Link; while they had not faced _too_ many threats during the visit to the Oocca city, they had certainly seen the over-large birds that had eyed them hungrily. Getting attacked by one or more of those birds here would just about be par for course, as far as they were concerned.

It wasn't birds, but winged lizards with blades and shields—aeralfos—that attacked them, swooping low and away before the trio could retaliate. Raiha muttered a few choice words that made Ganon snort, then tossed him and Link the clawshots again.

"Reel them in boys," she said, her sword clearing its sheathe. "I'll do the rest."

It didn't take long to figure out the attack pattern of the aeralfos; just before they attacked, they would bring up their shields as they built altitude for a swift dive. Ganon got the first one, Link the second. Raiha's face held no remorse, no pity, as she killed them.

The third one managed a stealth attack, knocking the red-headed woman forward. She turned the fall into a roll and managed to come up on her feet again in time to see both males taking exception at something attacking her; Ganon pinned the flying lizard, and Link killed it. She blinked at them as they both glanced up; first at her, and then at each other in surprise. Despite the seriousness of the moment, she couldn't help laughing at the chagrined expressions on their faces.

"Knights in shining armor at my age," she chuckled a little as they started back up the balcony stairs. "Who knew."

Link beamed, pleased by the compliment. Ganon couldn't help but feel slightly flattered, and a smidge hopeful; maybe he hadn't lost as much of her trust as he'd first thought.

As they approached the door to the third floor, the rain began in earnest, prompting hasty entry. This hallway was lit with torches at set intervals, a bit dusty, and clearly empty. Still the three proceeded with caution, weapons in hand at all times until they came to the foot of the stairs that would lead up to the fourth floor.

At the sight, Raiha muttered a vicious curse. A ledge of stone, less than a foot wide, was all that remained of most of the stairs, with the occasional platform that jutted out in a random manner. Looking down made her dizzy enough that she had to step back, and Link put a hand on her shoulder in concern. She took a few short, shuddering breaths, then looked up at the metal gratings spaced along the wall; that had gotten her up the last time...

"Link, do you think you can slide up that narrow path?"

He eyed it thoughtfully, then sheathed his sword and carefully started edging along the narrow ledge. Ganon watched with unease and dislike in equal measure; if Link got attacked while on the path, before he reached a ledge, he was bound to fall. He glanced sideways at Raiha and saw that her jaw was set in a way that suggested she was worried as well, but also resigned to the lack of choice.

"How are we getting across?" he asked after a long, tense moment.

In response, she produced the clawshots again, and handed them to him.

"Hope you don't mind a piggyback ride," she said, with some of her old asperity coming through her nerves. "With how much we'll weigh, it's entirely likely that staying too long will pop a grate out of the wall, so you'll have to be fast. You up for it?"

He looked from the clawshots, to Raiha, up to the grates. Then to Link, still carefully and slowly edging his way along the broken stairs. At the back of his mind was a touch of relief that she was trusting him to get them both across, and a small bit of avarice at the thought of her wrapped around him so tightly.

"Yeah. I can do it."

"You better," she grumbled. "It'll hurt if you fall."

"Just get on."

Raiha moved around to his back, hooking her arms around his neck and her legs around his waist. He let her get settled, hiding the jolt of desire that rushed through him to the best of his ability, then carefully lined up the first shot. He felt her breath hitch as they were yanked to the grate, and felt a curl of sympathy as her face pressed against his neck, mouth moving slightly in prayer. To whom, he wasn't sure, though given the way she seemed to swear by Nayru more than the other three, he wouldn't have been at all surprised to learn it was by the Goddess of Wisdom. He made sure their stays on the gratings were as brief as possible, and had to admit to no small amount of relief himself when they reached the top and safety.

Link made his way slowly and steadily up to join them; by the time he made it, Raiha had regained her calm, and retrieved the clawshots once more. Ganon's face held a look of mild disappointment; they were quite fun little toys. Behind them once more a chain portcullis slid into place; as one, they ignored it, and headed down the short hallway to the double doors at the end.

"...great," Raiha muttered as a trio of darknuts blocked their path. "One for each of us."

Ganon gave her a fierce grin.

"I could make them explode," he offered.

Link snorted a little in amusement as Raiha genuinely considered the offer. After a moment, reluctantly, she shook her head.

"Too close; the shockwave would hurt us as well."

"Damn," Ganon muttered.

Link patted his arm sympathetically; he'd been hoping for an easy win too. Raiha smiled faintly.

"Come on boys. Let's show these things why we're not to be messed with."

Ganon grinned a little.

"Last one fighting has to give the other two a kiss," he teased.

Link and Raiha exchanged looks, then they both nodded, Raiha with a smirk of her own.

"You're on."

Thus motivated, the trio unsheathed their swords, and strode towards the darknuts. Link took on the one on the left, Ganon took the one on the right, and Raiha was left with the one in the middle. The darknuts were not slow to activate, and the two males were quick to realize that there wasn't enough room to fight all in a line. Swiftly, they led their opponents to other areas of the room, freeing Raiha to fight without worry.

Link had a fleeting moment to wish the chain portcullis was not in the way as he coaxed the darknut to charge at him, and took a solid swipe at it as he dodged aside. He could have tripped it and sent it flying down into the darkness, and that would have certainly been an easy win. Instead he was having to whittle away at the heavy armor, looking for a weak point to strike.

He was, at least, not alone in this manner; Raiha and Ganon were both doing the same thing, albeit in entirely different ways. Ganon's style of hard, heavy blows were putting dents in the darknut armor, while Raiha sought straps to cut. Consequentially, her darknut developed a hole in its defense first, and she was not slow in taking advantage of it. The armor shattered like clay once she'd pierced the heart of it, though it did manage to get one last buffet in, nearly dislocating her shoulder in the process.

Grimacing, she called up a trickle of magic to ease the pain and reset the bone properly, then turned to watch the other two fights critically. After a moment, she snorted a little; Link was putting in a good effort, but she suspected that Ganon was drawing things out, just so he could be the one to kiss the both of them.

Since she didn't really know how to feel about that—despite what she'd said, she _was_ still upset with him about the Sky cannon trick—she put the thought out of her mind and simply watched.

Link was the first to find an exploitable weakness in the armor of the darknut, driving his sword hope with surprisingly ruthless efficiency; she certainly hadn't taught him _that_. She had, however, taught him the shield block he used to keep the sword that descended at the last second from breaking his collarbone, which made her smile in faint approval.

He panted for breath as he pulled his sword free, glancing around to see whether he was the last or not; while he had subconsciously registered the sounds of continuing battle, he hadn't known until looking whether it had been Ganon or Raiha.

Raiha walked calmly over to him, handing him another skin of water, which he drained gratefully as they waited for Ganon to finish playing with his opponent.

"He's having fun," she commented idly. "Maybe next time he needs a good spar, or you do, I'll conjure up one of these things."

Link winced at the thought, and glanced at her, not entirely sure if she was serious. The glint in her amber eyes made his heart sink a little; she was _very_ serious. That generally meant pain for him.

"But... after we win, there won't be a need for it, will there?" he asked gingerly.

Raiha half-turned to him, then smiled in a way that suggested he had just asked something he shouldn't have. Link winced, and she lightly patted his shoulder.

"There's _always_ a need to stay in practice. Just because we win doesn't necessarily mean the monsters will go away."

His shoulders slumped, making her chuckle as Ganon finally tired of toying with the darknut and performed a two-handed overswing that crumpled the armor across its chest. The armored being collapsed, then shattered as the other two had, and he nodded in satisfaction, then turned to see his companions watching.

Ganon would admit to himself that this was essentially how he'd hoped it would go; it was part of why he'd made the bet, even as a light joke.

"Who wants to get kissed first?" he asked, his tone light as he strode over to them.

Raiha rolled her eyes.

"Does such a bet even count when you plainly made it with the thought of stalling?" she asked, her tone dry. "Your strength _and_ you triforce piece both mean that you could have won quite easily."

"That would have been cheating," Ganon retorted.

"Yes, and you're all about _not_ cheating, aren't you?"

He grimaced a little at the knowing look in her eyes. Caught. Before he could admit to it however, Link cautiously stepped forward.

"It's probably not the time," he began hesitantly.

"It's _definitely_ not the time or the place," Raiha interjected.

"B...but... Um..."

Link's cheeks started turning red in the torchlight, and Ganon blinked a little, then grinned; the boy was volnteering to go first, probably to make certain that Raiha didn't negate the whole thing. Well, if Link was going to be so obliging, how could he refuse?

Raiha rolled her eyes lightly, and shook her head in resignation; clearly she was being overruled, and that was that. Well, if they were going to muck about with kissing, she was going to go and make certain that the door out to the fourth floor balcony and stairs wasn't locked. And if some small part of her suggested she was looking away because she was jealous, well, she flattened that part quickly, and turned to go check the doors.

Link would be the first to say he'd never been kissed before. He'd flirted with the idea a few times—there were some very cute girls in the market and he _had_ been a soldier in training—but had never quite felt the need to go through with it. Partially because he couldn't help imaging Raiha's reaction if she'd heard about it. Sometimes he imagined her being amused, and sometimes he pictured her being hurt. Not until recently, however had he considered the idea of kissing her.

And he would be the first to admit he'd never considered kissing another guy.

Ganon, on the other hand, was no stranger to kissing. He knew just how to kiss to leave the other person wanting for more, and he applied this knowledge now to the young man before him. Easily able to tell of Link's inexperience just from how he reacted to the subtle pressure of mouth against mouth, he made sure to keep it chaste, but still passionate enough to leave the blond panting for breath when he pulled away.

He couldn't help being entirely too pleased by the dazed look on Link's face. The flush reached all the way to the tips of those pointed ears, and getting ready to head into a large conflict or not, Ganon spared a moment to wonder if they would be sensitive to touch if he got the boy properly aroused.

After a moment he took another step back, then turned to find Raiha, allowing Link time to gather his thoughts and recover before joining them again. She was crouched by the door, fiddling with the lock as he approached, and made a faintly annoyed sound when his shadow blocked her sight. Obligingly he moved aside until he heard the click that meant success.

"Don't want a kiss?"he asked, genuinely curious.

She straightened, putting away the lock-picking tools, then looked up at him. After a moment, her mouth twisted a little wryly to one side.

"And if I say no?"she asked.

"You'll be missing out. I'm a great kisser."

That startled a laugh from her.

"Yes, and I wonder why _that_ would be."

The cynical tone stung him, but underneath it he could hear a hint of wistfulness. So he carefully moved a little closer; not blocking her in, but maybe impinging on her personal space somewhat. Raiha took a half-step to the side, wanting a clear line of sight at the least; from what she could see of Link, he was still putting his brain back together after kissing Ganon, and a small part of her wondered timidly what it might be like.

"Raiha." She looked up at him, studied his expression. "Simple answer to the question. Can I kiss you?"

It was tempting to dodge the question entirely; this really _wasn't_ the time or the place to entertain such things, such thoughts. On the other hand, if her plan worked, she might very well die for real, and if she _did_...

After a moment she sighed.

"All right. One kiss. Quickly."

Ganon's slow smile was a far cry from his cocky grin. Despite her still simmering ire, she felt her heart speed up, just a little; if he looked at _every_ person he was trying to seduce like that, then it was no wonder he'd had so many women of his tribe following him blindly.

He leaned in slowly, giving her time to change her mind; a large part of him was pleased when she stood her ground, neither backing away nor advancing to meet him. Very few women had been like that... at least that he could recall.

His mouth brushed hers lightly, and for a moment he felt no response at all to the subtle pressure. It didn't surprise him, not really; Raiha had spent centuries living without making strong emotional connections. Naturally, her response would be control before anything else. So he pushed a little harder, trying to walk that thin line between coaxing a response and being overly pushy.

He felt her sigh slightly, and considered pulling away when she finally responded. Her pressure was delicate, cautious and uncertain, but not inexperienced. Very carefully he put one hand on her hip and coaxed her to move a little bit closer.

It was tempting to delve into the kiss further, make it far more passionate. He wanted her to _want_ him, to _need_ him. To feel the same desire for him as he was feeling for her. It was _hard_ to make himself stop the kiss, but when she began to resist, he released her and stepped back. There was a hint of color on her face, and she took a few short breaths, but he was willing to bet that his were the eyes darkened with desire.

"That was terrible," he said after a minute, mock-pouting a little."After we win, I get a do-over so you can do it _right_."

Raiha blinked. Stared at Ganon. And then burst out laughing.


	14. Thirteen

Thirteen

They had expected hard rain upon stepping outside, but instead, there was an eerie silence, broken only by the steady, low sound of thunder. The air was thick with anticipation and a twisted sort of magic that Ganon recognized from being the shade's last victim. Despite himself, he shivered a little at they looked up the steps to the throne room.

"All right," Raiha said quietly. "This is where things are going to get serious. I need you both to do something for me."

"Trust you?"Ganon asked, a dry smile crossing his face.

The humor wasn't reciprocated; Raiha nodded, her expression grim.

"I need to borrow your Triforce pieces."

Ganon went still in shock. Link blinked several times.

"Borrow our...?" the blond looked at her uncertainly.

"I have a plan. It's a risk, it's a long shot, and for it to have more than a small chance of succeeding, yes, I need to borrow them."

Ganon looked down at his hand; the triforce piece glimmered at him through even the leather of the vambrace. Give it up? Give it to her? He'd expected this moment would come eventually, had even thought that he might be ready for the idea, ready to give it up permanently. But in the moment, he felt uncertainty gripping him.

He looked at her; she was waiting patiently, no signs of anger or amusement present in her expression. So. This was serious. And she had said the word borrow, which meant he would get it back. Right?

Link's train of thought was similar, but his decision was easier. Raiha had never led him wrong before. He trusted her with everything he was, and everything he had. Including the piece of the triforce that he had apparently been born with.

"How do I give it to you?" he asked, as Ganon continued to mentally debate with himself.

Raiha's expression lightened a little.

"Give me your hand, to start," she said, and offered her right hand.

Obligingly, he put his left hand in hers, subconsciously marveling at the warmth of her skin. Almost he envied Ganon his chance to kiss her, but knew that if it had been him, he wouldn't have managed to do anything out of sheer nerves. Her eyes flickered briefly with warmth, with gratitude.

"Do you agree to allow me the use of the Triforce of Courage of your own free will?"

Link nodded firmly, then jolted a little as he felt something undefinable slip out of him. A power of some sort that he hadn't even realized he'd carried. He felt a little hollow, but no less ready to face the threat that had come to destroy Hyrule. Raiha studied him for a moment, then a small smile crossed her face.

"Thank you Link. This will help."

She turned to Ganon, who had watched the proceeding with narrowed eyes.

"Borrowing?"

"For now, yes. Assuming we win, there will come a day very soon where you'll have to give it back permanently."

He grimaced, then sighed and offered her his right hand.

"All right. You can have it," he sighed again. "I owe you this much for scaring the shit out of you."

Raiha grinned a little, and slid her right hand under his.

"You have no _idea_ how much you owe me for that stunt, but I'll be nice and accept this as payment for the moment."

Ganon grimaced as he felt the triforce piece slip away from him, freely, if reluctantly, giving it to the redheaded woman who drove him a little bit mad at times. He felt limitations now; his muscles ached from the fighting and traveling up the stairs. His magical power felt rather diminished as well, though he had to admit there was still quite a _lot_ of it.

Raiha hadn't felt too different when accepting Link's triforce piece; she'd had some practice holding his, after all. The Triforce of Courage was an interesting ideal, but it bore no specialties. If anything, it made her feel calmer about the approaching fight and what she was going to do.

Power was another story. She had thought she'd braced well enough for it; she couldn't have been more wrong. It sizzled along her nerves, slammed energy through her veins, and she felt almost as though she would pass out from the influx; obliquely it put her in mind of creating the Light Spirits. If she'd had this piece then, it wouldn't have been _half_ as difficult, or exciting.

It felt like it took her ages to push the strength of the Triforce of Power down to a manageable level, and when she did, she felt arms supporting her on either side. She opened her eyes, and blinked a few times, then looked up into a pair of concerned faces. After a moment, she smiled weakly.

"Kicks like a cannon. I thought I knew what to expect, but..."

Ganon let out a sigh that was tinged with relief as she straightened, taking her weight back from the pair of them.

"I really hope you know what you're doing," he said after a minute, looking up at the entrance to the throne room.

"Your faith in me is astounding," she said dryly. "All right. Just one more thing. No doubt it'll try taunting, try mocking, try anything. _Do not_ attack to kill. Stun, fine, but if you kill Zelda with that shade still part of her, I swear, you'll only live long enough for me to make you regret it. Link. Take this."

Ganon glanced away, unwilling to admit that he'd been considering the idea. Unfair though it was, it would have neatly solved a problem... and yet, at the same time, he had been the shade's last victim. He couldn't condemn anyone else to that sort of a fate.

Link held out a hand as she dropped an innocent looking bracelet into it, then glanced down at the bracelet curiously.

"...Raiha?"

She smiled faintly.

"It's for Zelda. Trust me, you'll know when to use it. It'll be a hard moment to miss."

Confused, but trusting, Link nodded a little, and slipped it into his tunic. Raiha looked at her boys, and felt a pang in her chest; assuming she survived this—and she was now hoping that she did—they were both going to be very upset. After a long moment she nodded, and they started up the stairs.

The throne room was as spacious as she recalled, the ceiling arcing high overhead and spreading out wide to either side. Columns supported the room to either side, and a long, deep blue carpet stretched across the room to the throne that rested under the symbol of the Triforce and a depiction—one that always seemed very strange to her—of the golden goddesses who had created it. Beyond the columns stood decorative suits of armor, an 'honor guard' for the people to gawk at and admire on occasion.

And on that throne sat Zelda. Or rather, Zelda's body, under the control of the shade. As the three of them approached, Raiha studied the shade, and smirked a little; there was poise all right, but also tightly coiled anger. It had tossed off the pretense of being the princess in favor of being itself, and it showed. Zelda's hair was tied up and back, her circlet replaced in favor of the crown she wore in formal situations. A metal breastplate, vambrace and greaves adorned her body, and anything the plate did not cover, hints of chain showed through. Gone was the lovely dress, and in its place was an armored fighter that bore little resemblance to the girl Raiha had befriended.

"You've returned," it said, voice chill.

"Well, you were so nice about opening the doors, and shutting them behind us that it would have been rude to refuse to play," Raiha said, keeping her own tone mild. "You look surprisingly well, I'm impressed. It must be difficult to care for a body not sustained by the Triforce of Power."

Zelda's eyes narrowed a little, then sharp blue eyes looked to Ganon, who was holding tightly to the Sages sword, but otherwise offering no threat. He was choosing to trust Raiha in this venture... and he would admit he felt underpowered without his piece of the triforce.

"Zelda," Raiha's voice was a command, drawing the shade's attention once more. "I know you're in there. If this idiot could survive, so can you. It's time to wake up and return the Triforce piece to where it belongs."

Zelda's expression darkened, but after a moment the shade laughed as it stood.

"You can't have it," the shade said mockingly. "And even if you _could_, it would do you no good. I know _everything_."

It was Raiha's turn to laugh.

"You know _nothing_, otherwise you'd know who I really am, and what my purpose really is," she shot back. "Zelda, _wake up_. It's _your_ triforce piece, attached to _your_ soul. _You _must give it to me. You _can_ give it to me!"

She didn't think it would work, not right away. Whatever Zelda had done to keep herself safe, to keep her piece safe, would take more effort than just words.

Perhaps fortunately for her, the shade lost its temper first and summoned a sword to attack with. At the same time, several of the empty suit lurched into motion, moving with surprising speed to take on Link and Ganon.

Ganon and Link moved back to back to guard one another as Raiha traded parries with the possessed princess. If he split his attention, he could hear Raiha talking still, urging for Zelda to wake up, to give her the Triforce of Wisdom. The shade responded with anger at the idea, and he as willing to bet it was covering fear; that close, there was no way to avoid realizing that Raiha was carrying two of the three pieces, and they were not fighting her.

The animated armor, however, quickly took up his attention. He kept Link at his back and they both lashed out like a well-oiled machine, parrying and attacking without losing contact. They weren't stupid, there was some fear within them, but there was also anger, and a stubborn determination to see this plan through, whatever it was.

Raiha jumped back from the magical attack the shade tried to press on her, fighting hard against the Triforce of Power to keep from retaliating fatally. The last thing she wanted was to wait another cycle because she had killed Zelda; she suspected that unlike with Ganon, the shade would _learn_ from this defeat, and plan more appropriately.

Still, it was gratifying to realize that her initial theory had been right; without Zelda's soul in an aware, compliant state, the shade's access to her triforce piece was limited at best. It was too much to hope for that it couldn't use it at all, and judging by the way it moved Zelda's body, it had at least boned up on how to fight properly.

But it still tried to react as though it was slinging around the Triforce of Power. The attacks here too ham-handed for the princess, too easy for Raiha to dodge. The spells that blasted out felt underpowered, and she could see the shade's growing anger at its predicament. Raiha used that anger, heightened it by continuing to call Zelda's name.

The princess was in there. She _had_ to be.

The suits of armor weren't like the ones they had face before on the second floor; nor were they the darknuts that had blocked their progress. Ganon could take the armor to pieces and all he would get was a bit of breathing room while it reassembled.

This, he knew, was the shade's doing; it was trying to keep them busy, wear them down until they made a fatal mistake. And damned if it wasn't working. Given that he wasn't ready to use his now-limited stores of magic against them yet, he had resigned himself towards giving powerful hammer-blows that dented the armor, impeding it to some small degree in the hopes that he would get more than a moment of breathing room.

Link was the one to see an extra suit of armor come to life and lurch its way towards Raiha and the princess. He tried to yell, but his throat was too dry from the fighting. A little panicked, he jabbed Ganon with his elbow, forcing the taller man to shift around and see it.

Just in time to watch the armor's sword slam into Raiha's side, and send her flying from the unexpected blow. She bounced. Rolled. And came to a stop at the foot of the stairs where she lay stunned, the wind knocked from her.

Their inattention cost them as well; Link was thrown to the side in the same direction as Raiha, while Ganon was hit hard enough to force him to his knees, seeing stars. The blows were not meant to kill, no, but they _hurt_.

The shade strode towards Raiha, sword in hand.

"If I kill you, I can just _take_ the other two piece," it snarled. "You aren't the one who owns them."

Raiha struggled to sit up, and spat blood to one side; that had broken a couple of ribs at least, though she could already feel Power mending them, and the lung that had been pierced.

"You really have no idea..."

"You're a throwback!" the shade snapped, drawing it's blade back to thrust through her throat. "Some useless Gerudo whelp that couldn't even be pure enough to _use_."

"Zelda. Your people _need_ you. Wake. _Up!"_

Raiha lunged forward, tackling the shade bodily. She hated to do this to the princess, but there was no other choice, and Zelda's head hit the carpet with a meaty thud. The shade cried out in pain, then howled louder as Raiha forced a jolt of magic through Zelda's body.

"Wake up, damnit! _Do your duty Hylia! _Or does Demise get to rule your body as well as this world?!"

She sent another jolt of magic laced with Courage and Power into the shade, and saw a flicker of the princess as the goddess she had once been. As the shade managed to get its feet up and into her gut, kicking her off, there was a feeling. A rush of magic more profound, more _aware_ than it had been in centuries.

And Raiha's body exploded with a wave of pure energy. The shade screamed, Zelda's voice taking on a dual-tonality as the Triforce, completed at long last, flared with strength and purpose. Magic swept the room, expanding outwards in a rush that left things changed. Zelda's scream ended abruptly as the shade was forced out from her body, courtesy of the Triforce, and the strength the former goddess had once wielded on her own.

She was close enough for Link to reach her, and he grabbed the semi-conscious princess, pulling her back and away from the formless menace of the shade and the blinding power that Raiha was exuding. He didn't mistake the moment either, and quickly clasped the bracelet around Zelda's wrist. He found himself hoping that it would prevent the princess from being repossessed; Raiha would _hate_ having her work undone, after all.

The shade screamed again, this time in rage as Raiha settled back to the ground, practically thrumming with power. The image of the golden triangles faded from the air, and with the light returned to normal, Link and Ganon made out the changes.

She had armor on, _real_ armor, that shimmered like the stone in her headpiece. It covered her from the neck down, and was embossed with the Sage medallion symbols as well as the Triforce. Her injuries had vanished, and her sword now had a glow of its own, one that was echoed in both the Master Sword and the Sages sword.

They were not immune to the changes of magic that had swept through either. Their chainmail had been enhanced, strengthened, and their injuries had faded as well. Ganon felt a renewed strength rushing through him as he picked himself and his sword up, and no small amount of awe. So _this_ was what the Triforce could do in a mind that understood it.

Raiha's smile was satisfied. Part a of the plan had finally worked. Now... now it was time for part b. Now she had to be extra careful; while in balance the triforce would respond rapidly to any strong desire, any wish that she had. She only had one shot, and she had to made it count.

The shades form was little more than a ball of energy, diminished now that it no longer held a Triforce piece of _any_ sort. That made it no less dangerous, however, and it shot towards the trio of Zelda, Ganon and Link, seeking a host, _any_ host if Raiha's guess was correct.

Ganon flinched despite himself, steeled for Raiha's shield to falter and fade, to shatter before the shade's power. Instead he felt an odd sensation, as though something had slid right on by him. It sent a chill down his spine, and when he realized what had happened, he couldn't help but laugh. Her shields had held. The shade _could not_ reach him.

Link shuddered as well, and Zelda, coming around more thoroughly, looked alarmed. It wasn't hard to guess that she had no desire to be repossessed. The bracelet on her arm flared as the shade's form swirled around her, and now Raiha's grin became pronounced.

"What, did you think I left this sort of thing to _chance?_ Me, the mistress of plans, the one behind pretty much _everything_ you've fought even since your sorry ass ended up fighting the Hero of Time in the first place?"

Though the shade had no eyes, she sensed it focusing on her, and her grin became a smirk.

"I am ancient in the ways of cunning, and I have lived through more eras than I can _count_. I have forgotten more than I remember, and I am imbued with the gifts of the goddesses. This encounter has been in my plans since I was reborn, and you will _not_ escape me."

It was a grandiose speech, meant more to enrage the shade than anything else. It had to come to her, had to think it _could_ get her, could win possession of her body and the Triforce.

She was not disappointed either. The shade sensed what she wanted it to sense; her mind, open and unguarded, overconfident, and flush with the power of a wish not yet made. It rushed at her, and she chose to meet it head on.

"NO!" Ganon yelled, lunging forward as the shade enveloped Raiha.

Raiha's lauhg sounded then as it sank into her body, and then, abruptly, the light flared again, and Ganon felt a familiar fire slam into him, lighting up his veins with Triforce mark on his hand glowed with renewed strength, as Power returned to him/ Out of the corner of his eye, he saw Zelda jolt in shock, her eyes going wide as she lifted her hand to her mouth, blue eyes showing pained understanding.

Link scrambled to his feet as the shade vanished into Raiha's body, barely noticing the return of the Triforce of Courage as he was face with a new dilemma... how was he going to be able to fight _Raiha?!_

"What are you _doing,_ you stupid woman?!" Ganon roared,wanting to shake Raiha, but not daring to go near; if the shade had her, the shade had her thoughts, her memories, her abilities. It could unravel the shields and take him back, and as selfish as it made him, he did not want to return to being the shade's plaything. "Why would you do something so _stupid?!_"

"She has a plan," Zelda whispered. "She knows how to defeat the shade..."

He glanced at the princess, who slowly picked herself up off the floor; like them, her armor had changed, becoming more refined, and regal as befitted the ruler of a land. Her expression reminded him too much of the horror he awoke with some nights, memories of the shade's tortures having infected his sleep, and he looked away rapidly.

"How can she beat it when she _invited _the damn thing to _take_ her?!" he demanded.

Link stared across the room; Raiha's body had not moved one step since the return of the Triforce pieces, and there was an extremely smug smile on her face. After a moment her eyes opened. They glimmered golden, pleased and regretful all at once, as the darkness crept into her expression. Just before the last of her faded into the shade's control, she spoke a single word.

"Checkmate."

Link and Ganon shared a glance, and the same thought; what the hell had that meant?

They didn't get the chance to ask; Raiha's body straigthened abruptly, and the shade began laughing.

"She may have freed the Triforce, but its of little consequence," it said. "This body is beloved by all three of you, and imbued with the 'gift' of immortality. I think I'll keep it."

Dangerous or not, Ganon lunged across the floor, sword sweeping out in fury as he attacked. Stupid Raih. _Stupid_ Raiha! How dare she get herself possessed, how had she _not_ planned for that?! The shade blocked, moving far more fluidly in Raiha's body than it had in Zelda's; had she abandoned her body completely then? If he stabbed her, would it die?

The thoughts brought him no pleasure, and if anything, only caused him more mental conflict. He wanted to destroy the shade, but he wanted to save Raiha. How could he do both? How _would_ he do both?

Link looked anxiously at Zelda, who had picked up her own rapier and was now wearing a grim look. She glanced down at him, sorrow and determination etching lines onto her youthful face.

"Our duty, my Hero, is to protect Hyrule," she said softly, compassion and grief overt in her voice. "Raiha would never want us to hold back for her sake. You know she wouldn't. Did she not raise you, as she did me?"

Tears pricked his eyes; he just couldn't imagine a world where it had come to this. Couldn't believe it _had_ come to this. This couldn't have been part of Raiha's plan, could it?

The princess strode forward to join the fight, leaping in and out much as Raiha had done while Link watched helplessly. He couldn't make himself lift his sword, couldn't bring himself to take up a stance against his teacher, his idol, his friend. A breath of magic touched him, touched the hand that held the Master Sword, and a soft voice whispered in his ear.

_The Master Sword is the sword of evil's bane. It was made for your hand and yours alone. Only you can do this. You have the strength. You have the Courage. You know the way._

It sounded like Raiha, only far more soft and gentle than he'd ever heard her sound. Younger, and more... more hopeful. He closed his eyes in agony, then lifted his blade and joined the fight.

Three on one odds were hardly fair, especially given the age of the one they were fighting. Raiha's body had lived and trained through centuries,and even if the shade hadn't figured out how to access her magic, it could still take hold of her memories and use those to keep a complicated defense against the trio of blades aimed in its direction.

Ganon was holding back, and he knew it. He had spells that could end this quickly, and he knew she would expect it of him, but he couldn't bring himself to use magic, even though it was the shade in control, and not the woman. The woman was still in there. She _had_ to be. She had to be fighting the shade's power somehow; he refused to believe she wasn't. She was too damned stubborn to give up, give _in_ without a fight.

It had taken the shade a decade to properly break him; she would not go anywhere near as easily.

A smug smile was on Raiha's face again, but this one was cold and cruel; it was plainly confident that it had won, and not even the Hero of legend would be able to get rid of it this time. Ganon's ire strengthened, and so did his draw on the Triforce of Power; instead of moving away from the slash the shade aimed at him, he moved into it, ducked low, and slammed his shoulder into Raiha's ribs. He stifled a wince as he heard several break, and the shade went stumbling backwards across the floor. Zelda nipped in next, tangling her rapier around Raiha's Gilded sword until it was wrenched out of her hands, and sent skittering across the room.

Zelda did not retreat fast enough, and even though the shade lacked Raiha's magic, it had more than enough of its own; power blasted out, and sent the princess flying in return, knocking her up against one of the stone pillars they had drawn so close to.

There was Link's opening, while the shade was focused on Zelda. The Master Sword glowed in his shaking hand, and the grief-stricken young man gritted his teeth in preparation. Raiha would want him too. Raiha would _expect_ him to.

Ganon lunged forward, and tackled the shade before it could go for either Zelda's blade or Raiha's. He used his height to his advantage, wrapping his arms and legs around the shade to temporarily immobilize it.

"Do it!" he roared, jolting Link from his paralysis. "Do it, or _it wins_."

Link's tears flowed down his face as he obeyed, lunging forward to bury the Master Sword in the body of the person who had always been at his side. It encountered resistance from her armor, and from Link's own desires to not hurt her, or Ganon who was holding the body. But it dug deep enough, and he felt when it entered her body.

The blade glowed with energy, and the shade screamed.

_Sages and Spirits! Do it now!_

The blast of Light flung them all apart again; Ganon releasing the shade to go rolling across the floor until he ended up near the foot of the dais stairs, Link flung backwards in a tumble that he only just managed to get control of, and Zelda flung back against her pillar once more. The shade's shriek was one of pure agony, and it tried to scrabble at the blade, only to find its movements halted by the spirit of the woman it had thought had fled the body entirely.

_I win._

Raiha had not fled. She had been the bait, the trap, and had chosen to lock the shade into her body in order to finally finish the fight. It had meant abandoning the shell of flesh, encouraging Link to stab her with the Master Sword, and calling on the power of the Sages and her Light Spirits both. The shade had no escape; the mix of purity and power burned it out of existence.

The silence, when it finally came, was almost deafening. Raiha's body collapsed like a puppet cut from its' strings, and the Master Sword clattered to the ground, the glow of light fading until the blade looked like an ordinary weapon once more.

Link remained where he was, grief stealing the strength from him. He'd killed her. _He'd killed her_, and that was the only thought in his mind. Tears ran unchecked down his face, and he heaved harsh sobs, wishing with all his heart that there had been another way to do that.

Ganon rolled to his knees, and slowly crawled over to Raiha's body, where he knelt. The anger had burned out of him, and like Link, he felt the gnawing ache of grief and loss. Unlike Link, he wasn't sobbing at the loss; it didn't feel real. As he started at her, the tiniest hint of motion caught his eye, and he frowned down at the body, watching and waiting.

Her chest moved again. Slow. Shallow. Barely a breath at all. He held his own as Zelda staggered over, whispering prayers, or so he thought, to the goddesses for Raiha's strong soul.

"She's breathing," he said after a moment, when the slight motion repeated. "She's _breathing!_"

Zelda startled as his voice rose to a shout, and Link looked up at the words, hope flickering through the grief. The princess reached out gingerly with her hand, and her triforce piece glowed softly. A new sorrow entered Zelda's eyes, and she shook her head even as Link rushed over to join them.

"She's dying," the princess said quietly. "The Master Sword was a conduit for pure magic and light; everything inside of her is bleeding."

"W... We can get her t-to.. a light spirit!" Link said a little frantically. "Down to Lanaryu!"

Zelda only shook her head again.

"Moving her now would only kill her faster; she would be dead before we reached the pathway down."

"She _can't_ die!" Ganon snapped. "She's immortal!"

"She's immortal under conditions," Zelda corrected. "She reunited the Triforce. Even though she made no wish, it could still have fulfilled her duty enough that the immortality was stripped from her."

Ganon snarled and swore, then pointed at Zelda.

"_You_ have the damn Triforce of Wisdom. _Use it_. Find a spell that'll let us save her life!"


	15. Fourteen

Fourteen

The sphere bobbed gently in the empty room, casting a golden light across the floor. It was hypnotic to watch, and Link often found himself losing hours as it shifted minutely up and down in time, he knew, with the slow and steady breathing of Raiha's body.

He sometimes thought he had drawn the short straw, being the embodiment of the Triforce of Courage; the princess and Ganon between them had little use for his skills as a fighter while they worked on undoing the damage the shade had caused. It left him at loose ends, and most days when he wasn't reassuring the returned guardsmen of their humanity, he found himself in the room where they had agreed Raiha should be placed until she woke up again.

The sphere itself seemed like nothing special; Princess Zelda had called it a containment shell, and said that it would magically sustain Raiha's body until either Ganon stopped powering the spell, or Raiha herself broke free of it. It was no secret that all three of them hoped it would be the latter, and it was certainly within Raiha's abilities to do so.

Zelda had scanned Raiha again and again as the days turned to weeks, mostly in the evenings after she had been out with Ganon, working in tandem with him to power spells that would rebuild the town and heal the land. Always the result was the same; her body was in a deep, healing slumber, but her soul was nowhere to be sensed nor found.

Ganon was far more stubborn than Link had suspected; every evening, regardless of how busy and full the day had been, the Gerudo male would come to the room, and put more energy into the spell. It didn't need it, not really, but Link had the sense that Ganon _needed_ to do it, needed to feel as though he was doing something that would help Raiha.

They also talked, of course. They shred the feeling of guilt and grief, but also of hope that Raiha would return to them in some form, and soon. Ganon also tended to complain about how annoyingly implacable Princess Zelda was, and how he could tell Raiha had a hand in raising her. Link would just pat his taller friend soothingly on the back, nodding here and there when it was plain that it was what he needed.

But most often he found himself simply staring at the sphere, and the woman within, a million questions on his mind.

Her face looked so peaceful in the enchanted slumber; lighter and more relaxed than he'd ever seen it before. In sleep before, she had always had a serious expression, even the hint of a frown that prevented her from looking truly at peace. Not so any longer, and he found he liked the peaceful look on her... but he missed hearing her voice. He wanted to apologize for stabbing her in the chest. He wanted to hear her explain the finer details of how she'd come up with her plan. He even wanted, a little bit, to yell at her for making him do that.

But mostly he just wanted, with everything in him, for her to wake up.

Ganon was not so different in thought, though he was much more restless. He couldn't stand being in that room for very long; he wanted to yell very loudly at her, to demand that she return to her body so he can have a proper kiss, to call her an idiot for not telling him what her plan was. Seeing her locked away in the bubble, unable to do anything but sleep and heal was torture to him. It was not what he'd come to expect from her.

Working with Zelda helped some; she was much calmer than Raiha, rarely rising to his snippier taunts, but when she got in a shot, she got one in _good_, and that more than anything told him how much Raiha had cared for the princess. She was also clever and quick-witted; any spell she could cast, he could power, and it _did_ feel good to be doing something productive for Hyrule, instead of taking it apart.

A month after Raiha's placement in the bubble, he found himself on the battlements, staring out towards the desert, lost in thought. The faint scuff of a slipper against stone told him easily enough who had joined him, but he still looked down at the top of Zelda's golden head anyways, to confirm it was her, and not Link that had found him first. He had stopped asking her to scan Raiha after two weeks, but he knew she did anyways; like himself and Link, Zelda was anxious for the Gerudo woman to return to them. There were some things only Raiha knew, after all.

After a moment, he returned his gaze to the west, and waited to see if Zelda would say anything.

"...when I was a girl," she began softly, "Raiha told me stories of adventure and daring. She spoke of the Hero of Time, and held intimate knowledge of how that battle had gone. She spoke of the young boy that had warned a Zelda of the past that she had backed up, with fondness and love. She spoke sadly of things, many things that I did not understand at that age, but hoped I would as I grew into my abilities as the bearer of the Triforce of Wisdom."

Ganon glanced at her again, but found that she too had turned her gaze to the desert.

"That's how you knew about the selective immortality," he said after a moment.

She nodded.

"In her long life, she has only ever fully trusted two people; the Zelda incarnation with the Triforce of Wisdom, and the boy who carried the soul of the ancient Hero. It was because she trusted me so that I was able to remember the spell that put my own soul into a deep sleep as a guard against the corruption of the shade. Though," and the princess gave a fleeting smile, "that had only been a theoretical she had raised once in my childhood. A month seems... a paltry amount to you, I expect..."

Ganon have the princess a sharp half-smile, then shrugged lightly.

"I had no concept of time until it left again," he admitted. "My mind is still a muddle, and I know I'll eventually have to go back to my desert and figure out just who I am without the people I wanted to protect and lead to glory..."

But he wanted Raiha to wake up first. He had tried, several times, to will the Triforce of Power to her; that it remained made him question himself. Did he not want hard enough? Or was there something about Raiha's unconsciousness that prevented it from going to her?

Answers only Raiha could give...

Another month crawled by, and eventually the non-magical rebuilding of the Castle Town began. Gorons and Hylians worked together to rebuild the streets and homes that had been destroyed, and at last there was a task for Link to help with, instead of endlessly watching Raiha sleep. Most often he worked by Ganon, taking comfort in the taller man's presence as they set stone and built frames for homes.

The knowledge was entirely new to Ganon, whose people had lived in tents, or stone homes tucked against the mountains; his memories conflicted there, but he was willing to swear that both ideas were accurate for the desert women. And the work was hard, even for one sustained by the Triforce of Power; most evenings upon their return to the palace he was too worn out to do more than glance into the room where the sphere was and register the lack of change before seeking out his bed to collapse into. Most often with Link curled up on one side.

It was strangely comforting to realize just how much the little Hero had come to rely on him for comfort in Raiha's absence. Stranger still to realize that he relied on Link for some feeling of penance as well.

They were halfway into the third month when Raiha finally woke up. Perhaps naturally, no one was there to see it; she blinked her eyes open and unfolded from the fetal position she'd curled into in the sphere, easily breaking the spell from within as she registered precisely what it was.

She dropped two inches to the ground, and glanced down at herself briefly; they had been required to remove her armor and most of her clothing for the spell to work properly she realized, tracing a new scar along her chest where the Master sword had broken through the armor. It was hardly surprising; there were so many permutations of that particular spell, Zelda and Ganon had probably just gone with the first one the princess had thought up.

She glanced around the room as she stretched out her muscles slowly; she wasn't sure how long she'd been in the bubble, but it felt like long enough for her body to go stiff. It was agood room, though small. A fireplace was set into one wall, and the ashes from the previous fire were cold; it had plainly been out for a while. There was a small bed tucked into a corner, no doubt meant to be hers if she hadn't been put in the bubble.

At the foot of the bed was a clothes-press, and it was to this she finally ventured as she unpinned her hair and shook it loose, catching the Sages stone headpiece before it fell to far. She smiled at it in fond memory, and put it back on, though she left her braid undone; what was the point to keeping it tied up when she had won?

The clothing was, as she'd hoped, hers. She dressed quickly, pulling her braid out from under her tunic when it snagged on the chainmail with a muttered curse.

She could feel the three triforce piece wielders in close proximity to one another, somewhere outside the castle walls, and the thought made her smile a little wickedly; how _was_ Ganon getting on with Princess Zelda? Sweet the princess was, but wise, and when necessary, quite sharp-tongued too. She remembered well the games she'd played with the child to help teach the adult how to frame words subtly.

She felt... tired, she decided after a minute. There was still weight upon her, but it was not so heavy as it had been; she was secure in the knowledge that soon, very soon now, her long mandate would be lifted, and her life would be her own once more.

But first, Raiha knew she'd have to sit through a lot of questions, and no small amount of yelling. After a moment, she smiled, and shrugged lightly to herself, feeling far more free than she had in a very long time. The best way to handle it was to go and find her friends, and let them get it out of their systems.

She concentrated for a moment, seeking the closest, then nodded a little, and left her room. A sense of mischief coiled through her, adding a bounce to her step; even if all they did was yell at her, she was certainly bound to be a shock for them after however long it had been. More than long enough for a good portion of things to be cleaned up and fixed, at least.

And there was magic in the air again. Just a taste, nothing like it had been so long ago, but it felt _wonderful_. It also felt intensely familiar, and she almost laughed to realize that Ganon and Zelda must have gotten over any difference of opinion if the state of the magic was any indication.

As she stepped out into the sunlight, she lifted a hand to shield her eyes, and couldn't help but smile. True, from where she was standing she could see that the Castle Town Market had a long way to go before it would be fit to be a market again, let alone a town fit to live in, but the wind carried voices to her that sounded of hope, of laughter, and of peace. It was everything she could have wanted.

Zelda met her on the far end of bridge just outside the entrance to the Market, and was the first to hug her. She was also the least upset,which was pretty much what Raiha had expected.

"They will be glad to see you awake," the princess said, smiling warmly as she stepped back from the taller woman. "As am I. It had been two and a half months since that fight."

Raiha whistled lowly.

"I figured it would take a while, but that's a bit longer than my estimate," she admitted. "I suppose I was quite a mess internally."

"More than my paltry healing skills could mend," Zelda said, her expression sobering. "Ganon was most insistent that I come up with something, and he did, fortunately, have the ability to throw power into the spell and make it work."

Raiha snorted in amusement, and shook her head lightly.

"Still as ham-fisted as ever. I swear. I suppose that'll never change."

"Not really," the princess sighed a little. "He has a habit of overpowering the spells I provide, and something that produces... interesting result."

"...so, what did he blow up?"

"_Everything_," Zelda said in pure aggravation.

Raiha burst out laughing, and hugged the princess again lightly.

"Poor dear," she teased. "I'm almost sorry to have missed it."

"_Almost_," Zelda huffed a little, then smiled again. "I am glad you are returned to us. To whence did you drift?"

"...well,I didn't expect you three to save my body, honestly,"Raiha paused, then shrugged a little. "And the goddesses didn't really appreciate me arguing semantics about my mandate. So they sent me back, but up until a few days ago, I think, my body was too fragile for even me to occupy. So I waited with my children until I could sense that the fragility had faded, and I wouldn't damage myself by returning."

"And now that you have returned?"

Raiha rolled her eyes.

"I'm expecting a lot of yelling, a lot of complaining, and possibly a lot of hugs that threaten to crush my ribs." After a moment she sobered. "And then yes. It will be time."

Zelda smiled a little, the expression both wistful and sad.

"I will miss it," the princess admitted, folding her left hand over her right. "It is much faster than searching through the royal archives, or asking one of the archivists if they have any idea where such knowledge might be stored."

Raiha patted her shoulder gently.

"You'll still be a wise and kind ruler without it," she said, her voice tinged with fondness. Then she grinned. "_I_ trained you, after all."

As she'd hoped, it made Zelda laugh. Smiling faintly, fondly, she gave the princess's shoulder a fond squeeze, then turned to head into the Market properly.

Her boys were not far, laboring to clear the remaining detritus that had once been a fountain, so she chose a position out of the way and just watched for several minutes. They had clearly grown closer in the time she'd been indisposed, laughing and teasing one another as only close friends could. She smiled fondly to see Link spray Ganon with his waterskin, only to yelp in protest when Ganon dumped an entire bucket of water over Link's head in retaliation.

She chuckled softly, shaking her head slightly; it was pleasing to see them play as children after the terrible things they had been forced to go through. She didn't expect either one to forgive her easily; she had exploited Link's trust, and Ganon's as well by not giving them even a hint of her plan. A necessary cruelty was still cruel, after all.

Link felt her gaze first, but because it was so familiar, he tuned it out for a few minutes until he realized _why_ the stare was familiar. His head came up in surprise and he glanced around rapidly, briefly ignoring Ganon, who stared at him in bemusement. Raiha lifted her hand slightly, a smile on her face, and he scrambled out of the hole and shot across the open space to collide with her in a hug of nothing more than pure relief. It was, as she'd expected, a very _tight_ hug, but there was nothing to be done about that; she just wrapped her arms around him in reply, and murmured quiet,soothing words as he clung to her.

Ganon climbed out much more slowly, his emotions a roil as he made a much more careful way over, helping up the people Link had tripped or pushed aside in his haste to get to Raiha. He was relieved, mostly, he was angry, he was...glad.

She glanced up at him, and offered him asmile full of quiet understanding. After a long moment he just sighed.

"You," he said firmly, "are a stubborn, irritating, opinionated, secret-keeping, pain in the ass of a woman."

Her smile gained a hint of mischief to it, and he was surprised to see such openness on her face.

"In short, you're calling me a Gerudo."

"Hey!" he gave her an affronted look. "Don't turn my race into a joke!"

"Why not? You already did."

He tried to maintain a semblance of ire, even a hint of it. But with humor flickering in Raiha's eyes, inviting him to share in it, he couldn't help but laugh, and flop down onto the supplies she was using as a seat.

"You still owe me a kiss, woman," he said, giving her a rougish grin.

"Ask me later, and I'll think about it," she shot back cheekily, her hands gently smoothing Link's damp hair. The boy's hug had eased somewhat, for which she was grateful, but he was still extremely tense. "For the moment, you should get back to work so that Link and I can talk. You and I can talk later."

Ganon looked down at her for a long minute, then at Link. Finally, he nodded, and headed back to his spot. Link eventually unwound his hug entirely, and looked uncertainly up at her. With a faint sigh, she patted the spot Ganon had vacated, and waited for him to sit. Long moments passed in silence while he struggled to find something, _anything_, to say to her.

"I'm sorry," she said at last, hands clasped loosely before her as she watched people hurrying around the market. "I wish I could have warned you about what I intended. Both with the Triforce, and with... what came after. Most of the plan was a gamble, really. I didn't know the Triforce would force the shade out, but I hoped it would. I didn't really know if the Master Sword would provide a suitable conduit for the energy, but I had to take that chance. If anyone else could have wielded the sword, I would have gotten them to do it instead of ruining your innocence."

She was quiet for a moment more, then sighed a little.

"I understand if you feel you can't trust me any longer," she continued, her voice softer. "Nayru knows..."

Link reached out and wrapped her in another fierce hug, one that startled her. She glanced down at him uncertainly, a small coil of hope curling around the base of her spine.

"You're my _teacher,_" he said, his head tight against her shoulder. "You showed me how to fight, and taught me why I ought to fight and when I shouldn't. You taught me about Hyrule, its history, its peoples, and about honor. And then.. and then..."

She decided against telling him that she hadn't expected to survive; no point in making this any harder.

"And then I gave you the hardest final exam I've ever had to give anyone before," she finished softly, gingerly smoothing his hair again. "And you passed with flying colors, though it broke your heart to do it. So I understand if you feel you can no longer trust me to know what's best. I'll count myself lucky that you don't outright hate me for forcing your hand and making you witness to that."

He just hugged her all the more tightly, trying to find the right words to explain himself. To make her see that he didn't, _couldn't,_ hate her. Yes, his heart felt bruised, but this was _Raiha_, and the only emotion that his heart had room for was the relief that she was alive.

After a several moments of struggling to find the words that would adequately express how he felt, he gave up, gave in, and shifted his head up so that he could kiss her.

It caught her off-guard, being a far cry from what she had expected him to do. Perhaps she ought to have known that one so pure couldn't really hold onto anger that well, but it was far easier to blame herself for what had happened, and expect the worst than it was to hope for a good outcome.

It was an inexperienced kiss, but not a bad one. He was flushed a bright red when he pulled back, hints of anxiety in his face, in his eyes. After a moment Raiha blinked, then shook her head a little and gave him a faint smile.

"You are far kinder than I deserve," she said softly, lifting a hand to lightly brush over his cheek. "Thank you, Link."

He blushed, ducking his head a little.

"I just... don't want you to have to go away again," he admitted.

Raiha's smile faded a little, then she leaned forward and kissed his forehead lightly.

"Well, I'm going to have to, but it shouldn't be for long. And you'll get to come at least part of the way."

"...we're going to that place again?"

"Mmhm. You have to return the Master Sword now that it's no longer needed, and I have to put the Triforce back where it belongs."

"And then...?"

Raiha's smile turned wry, and a little sad.

"And then we'll see what happens."

He leaned on her again, an arm loosely around her waist.

"But you'll stay?"

She felt her heart twist a little, knowing the lie she was about to tell, knowing also the he needed to be told this, otherwise he would never agree. She didn't know _what_ would happen when she returned the Triforce; would she be required to guard it eternally, or would she be allowed to live her life as a mortal? Without knowing, she could offer nothing concrete, and that was not what Link needed right now.

"Yes, puppy. I'll stay." After a moment she managed a chuckle, and was both pleased and pained at how natural it sounded. "Though at the moment, I think I'll go back to the palace and steal something from the kitchen. Now that I've been awake this long, I'm feeling rather hungry. I'd also like a chance to do some reading in the archives, now that there's no danger. And you should probably get back to work so that Ganon doesn't whine too much about you being a slacker."

He slid down from the supplies as she stood, hovering a little uncertainly. Part of him wanted to insist that she stay where he could see, where he could be on hand in case of anything bad. The rest of him knew that she still needed no help.

Raiha glanced at him sidelong, chuckled again, then leaned in and gave him a swift kiss on the mouth. Warm and gentle, and as chaste as any first kiss with her favorite hero had ever been; after all, _she_ was the one with experience. No pointing it pressing too hard and frightening him.

He blushed bright red again, making her laugh as she pulled back. He was not her one and only love, no, but he had always been a true love, and she was glad that he had not been as angry as she'd anticipated. She hoped that she would be allowed to return to him.

He watched her as she headed back towards the bridge and the palace, and finally managed a smile of his own before getting back to work.

It was late in the evening by the time Ganon found he was ready to talk, _really_ talk, with Raiha. For privacy, they had gone up to the outer stair of the fourth floor, where she'd sat on the steps to the throne room while he leaned against the wall.

"...why couldn't I give you my piece when you were dying?" he asked after a moment.

"Because there was no soul to accept it," she replied with a faint shrug. "The triforce pieces don't anchor into a body, they tie to a person's soul. And before you ask, yes, I did abandoned the body to the shade. It was part of the plan."

"Is that why you said checkmate?"

She smiled a little, a thin, self-satisfied look.

"I like chess, but sometimes my strategy and tactics amount to nothing. It seemed appropriate in the moment."

"...what _was_ the plan?"

She chuckled a little, her expression smoothing out.

"Mostly? A lot of conjecture and luck. I knew the story of Demise and Hylia from the times I'd borrowed the Triforce of Wisdom, but I wasn't sure if your shade was Demise in full, a fragment of the thing that escaped being sealed in the Master Sword, or something new entirely. I gambled."

"What was it?"

Raiha tipped her head a little, then shrugged. He had been stuck with the shade for millenia, he did have the right to know.

"Not Demise, but a former servant. One with enough power and anger to linger, like all poes do, but with the ability to gather more power and possess bodies that were opened to it. Like Demise, it was sealed away after a time, but Koume and Kotake broke that seal when they went looking for power for you."

Ganon frowned a little, reminded of his surrogate mothers and abruptly feeling like he missed them.

"To anticipate your next question, defeat wasn't possible without a lot of Light. At one time, Zelda would have held too much power and ability within her as a former goddess to be possessed by something like that shade. Reincarnation with a broken Triforce dimmed that power little by little until she was vulnerable to attack."

"But did you have to make Link _stab_ you?" he demanded, aggravation entering his tone.

She snorted a little, amused and pleased by his defense of Link in lieu of her demand.

"Unfortunately, yes. The Master Sword is the blade of evil's bane. It holds within an ancient spirit and remnants of Demise, the one who decided to start this whole farce," she sighed a little, shaking her head. "It's also the only weapon with enough remaining divine power to serve as a channel for the magic of the ancient, _real_ Sages, and my Light Spirits."

"So you planned, this entire time, on dying," he said flatly.

Raiha shrugged.

"I'd say it seemed like a good idea at the time, but the truth it, it was the _only_ idea at the time." After a moment she shook her head and sighed. "What do you want me to say? I am _tired_ of this fight. Tired of Demise's stupid curse that there always _be_ a fight. I'm ready for it to be done and _over_ with, and to that end, yes, I came up with a very extreme plan, one that would have destroyed my body if not for you and Zelda. I knew it would cause distress, I knew I would face anger, and I did it anyways because Din curse it, _I wanted to be done!_"

Ganon leaned back a little; this was far more passion than he'd expected. He could prick at her, yes, and she would snap back, but once their truce had been established, she had been in remarkable control.

"Is it done?" he asked after a long minute.

She sighed.

"It's _almost_ done. The next step is the last. After that... well, we'll see."

His eyes narrowed slightly.

"You're not saying something."

She snorted a little, and gave him a wry smile.

"I'm _always_ not saying something. And I'm not _going_ to say that something, because it's still not your business, you wanna be bully."

"Raiha..."

Her expression gentled a little, softened to a face he hadn't seen before.

"I don't know what will come after. I won't know until I put it back. And since _I_ don't know, I can't offer any form of reassurances that are honest." Her voice dropped and she looked away. "I hate lying. I hate using pretty words to doctor a truth into something unintelligible and having to hope that the person I'm speaking to understands me. So there are some things I just don't speak of. Ever."

Ganon studied her for a long minute, then sighed and flopped down onto the stairs next to her.

"How long do I get to keep this, anyways?" he asked, flexing his right hand absently.

"...another week, or until you finish with clearing and rebuilding the fountain," she said after a moment's pause. "Maybe another two if we take the long road instead of the short."

"Define 'long road'."

It made her laugh, and he enjoyed the way the moonlight gilded her skin.

"The road that we'll take to reach the Temple of Time, of course."

"And the short road?"

"Ah, the short road would be visiting Lanayru, and getting the spirit's help in teleporting the four of us to the Temple. We'd still have to go _back_ the long way, but the Triforce would be back in its own place by then, so it's a moot point. Zelda has indicated that either option is fine with her, and she'll be visiting the other towns and villages in Hyrule on the way back. She's indicated that she hopes the two of you would be willing to be guards in place of the ones that would normally accompany her, but that's up to you."

"You're not going to...?"

Raiha snorted.

"I've kept the Temple of Time's truth a secret for the whole of my existence, I'm not _about_ to let them nose about and potentially do something foolish. Nor am I going to subject them to the Lost Woods to test their nature for acceptability."

She had allowed Shad and those friends of Telma's into the Lost Woods—mostly because they had funded and built the bridges—but they had never made it to the temple. They had, instead, wandered around in circles until the Skull Kid had deposited them back at the entrance. She could remember the scholar being very miffed about it, and how much it had entertained her.

"And to be perfectly honest, Zelda is quite capable of caring for herself. She's a wonderful archer, a superb fencer, and even if her amount of magic is paltry compared to the past, she can still defend and heal with it."

Ganon snorted a little, but had to admit that Raiha was correct; Princess Zelda was a far cry from helpless in a situation. The only reason she wasn't helping with the reconstruction was because she was helping with those who were injured by the work, and there were more than enough injuries to occupy her and the other men and women who were doctors.

"You're different," he said after a minute.

"I'm almost free," she replied. "Or so I hope. All three pieces of the Triforce are in close proximity, within people who are willing to return them to me for reasons of their own. The evil has been vanquished. People are back to what they were, and are rebuilding. I think I'm allowed to relax a little."

There was a pregnant pause, then Ganon looked at her sideways.

"So does that mean, if I kiss you this time you'll actually kiss back instead of being a block of wood?"

She couldn't help but laugh.

"Trying to start a harem?" she teased, giving his arm a light smack.

"Me? What about _you?_" he shot back, a smirk on his face. "Link almost broke his hand because he was unfocused after you kissed him, and don't tell me you haven't kissed the princess, because I won't believe it."

"I haven't kissed her. Yet. There hasn't been the right moment to do so," Raiha shrugged a little as Ganon laughed, a faint smile on her face. Her tone, when she spoke again, was tinged with regret. "I love them. I didn't always; at first I only loved him. I waited decades for him, and it was always good, but I could never stay. Watching him age, being by him when he died... I was never strong enough for that. And sometimes he would love another before I discovered his rebirth, and I am not so churlish as to claim he can only love me."

"So how did you manage to turn to Zelda?"

"By accident. Same as I turned to Link. I didn't ever go into anything involving them with a plan beyond friendship. Love was never, _ever_ something I would use as a token. It just... happened."

"Huh," he leaned back a little on the stairs. "Just happened?"

"Mmm. Most of the time I never say anything; immortality and living in the world instead of without it has its drawbacks, in case you couldn't tell. But loving them, and being loved by them... it was sometimes the balm I needed to keep myself sane and whole." A pause. "Well, _whole_, at least. I'm not so sure I can really claim to be sane."

"...you're no fun."

She grinned at his mock pout.

"You just say that because I beat you to the joke."

Now Ganon grinned, and shrugged a little, neither agreeing with nor denying her words. They shared a comfortable silence for several minutes before he shifted a little.

"You drive me crazy," he said quietly. "I don't think there's a chance I'll ever understand you the way I want to. You are, perhaps, the most complex, difficult, pain in the ass of a person I have ever met."

"In short, I'm everything a Gerudo woman is supposed to be," she said dryly.

"And here I thought you didn't _want_ to be Gerudo."

Raiha shrugged, pleased with how easily his attention had shifted.

"Wanting has nothing to do with it; it's part of my heritage, despite it being long gone and forgotten. The only reason I am not treated like a plague is because there are no Gerudo left, and even their stories have vanished with the era."

"We could make a new Gerudo," he suggested, though his heart was admittedly not in his words.

She snorted.

"And do what? Return to a life in the desert that is harsh and unforgiving, and would only put you back at square one in desiring a change? No," she shook her head a little. "Don't look to the past for what was, look for the lesson and turn it into a what could be. The Gerudo, the Sheikah, the Kokiri... all are gone. There's nothing, not even the True Force, that can change that. And you are one person; while I don't doubt you can encourage people to follow you, wouldn't you feel better helping these ones? You're doing a good job here, and I know the people you work with think of you fondly. As does Link. Zelda too, though," Raiha grinned, "she has complaints about your control."

"It was _one time!_"

"Not according to her."

Ganon subsided into grumbling, and glanced sideways at her.

"You're a pain, Raiha."

"Yes. I know."

"Can I get that kiss now?"

She snorted, and got to her feet.

"You're terribly unromantic about it," she pointed out as he stood too. "And to be fair, the wager was already paid up. It only specified the loser having to kiss, not the others having to return the kiss."

"Are you going to argue semantics with this because you're nervous?"

"...yes."

That made him stop short in surprise.

"You're nervous," he repeated.

"Part of me is still very upset with you over what happened with the Sky cannon, no matter how relaxed I may otherwise seem. Part of me is cautiously curious." After a moment she sighed. "And part of me worries that if I don't return after placing the Triforce where it belongs, for whatever reason, admitting that there might be something beginning would only cause pain for you."

"Not for you?"

Raiha laughed, but it was a sad sound.

"I'm used to that sort of pain."

Ganon hesitated for a long moment, then sighed.

"You're a selfless idiot," he grumbled.

"Yes, I know,"she smiled a little sadly. "How about a compromise. For now, a hug. If I return, a kiss."

It was the best deal he was going to get. After a moment he nodded, and very carefully, very gently, embraced her.


	16. Fifteen

Fifteen

In the end, they all agreed that it would be safer, and faster, if Raiha teleported them to the Temple of Time with the help of Lanayru. It would be only a two week journey to return, maybe three if the people Zelda planned on meeting on their way back insisted on festivities of some sort. Link and Ganon had both agreed to guard Zelda in case something happened, though both of them doubted anything would.

Raiha had pointedly reminded them that there were still creatures on the Hylian plains that wouldn't hesitate to offer hostility to anyone traveling. She'd also taken the pains to remind Ganon that he was going to have to return the Sages Sword as well, though she'd followed that news up with telling him that she had asked the Gorons to make him a blade that ought to be mostly completed by the time they made it to Kakariko.

They left at dawn a couple of days after the fountain had been restored, and each person was lost in the haze of their own thoughts as they took the path out of the city, then down to the lake. Raiha wasn't sure if she was excited or worried; they were both equal in weight to one another, and her mind jumped rapidly from topic to topic as she considered both sides of her potential predicament. While she hoped to be able to return to her friends, she knew it wasn't a guaranteed thing.

Ganon kept slanting her little glances as well, his thoughts running a similar line; would she be allowed to return?How would Link handle it?How would Zelda? How would _he?_ Could he really stand by and just let her go so quickly, so easily? The last of his people... someone he was uneasily sure he might even be falling in love with.

Link was probably the calmest of the adventuring trio; he was returning the sword to its rightful place, Raiha was returning the Triforce to _its_ rightful place, and then they would all go home, and continue with the reconstruction of Hyrule. That was the guise he worked under, from what Raiha had said to him.

The sunlight was just starting to peer over the edge of the mountains when they reached Lanayru's shrine, gently banishing the mist from the lake. Raiha smiled faintly at the sight, then half-shrugged a little and led the way in.

The water in the shrine glowed gently, churning abruptly as Lanayru manifested in foll before them. Ganon swore a little, taking a step back in surprise at the sight of the large water dragon, an orb of golden light carried in its jaws. Link yelped as well, and almost tripped as he jumped backwards. Only Zelda remained where she was, though her eyes went wide in wonder. Raiha grinned at all of them, lightly resting a hand on Lanaryu's jaw.

"Sorry. Lanayru needs to be manifested to allow me to tie the extra power in. I tend to forget how impressive they are to people who've never seen them before."

Ganon glared at her, but both Zelda and Link continued staring at the dragon in awe. Moreso when it nudged her lightly in affection. Raiha smiled up at the glowing, golden spirit, and softly stroked the muzzle under her hand.

"Everyone ready?" she asked, voice light.

After a moment, three heads nodded, and she pulled out the Ocarina for its last teleportation, playing the Prelude of Light. The magic that swirled around her was amplified easily by the dragon, and broadened to include the other three mortals. If she could have, Raiha would have laughed with the joy of speeding over the land as glittering motes of light; there was just something about the spell that brought a different sense of freedom to her. If she could have duplicated it, she would have gladly made teleportation nodes all around Hyrule.

All too swiftly, they landed in the clearing that was the remnants of the Temple of Time, neatly and gently deposited back into the real world by the release of the spell. Ganon promptly sat down, nursing a headache that was unpleasant to say the least. Link managed to stay upright, but Zelda joined him after taking a dizzy step and actually tripping over the hem of her gown.

Raiha stifled her amusement at the sight of the three of them, and waited patiently while they recollected themselves and their wits.

"I don't want to do that _ever_ again," Ganon said finally, giving her an annoyed look.

"You won't have to. Once I place the Triforce, I'm leaving the Ocarina there as well." She shrugged a little at the startled looks. "It can only bring me here. That makes it all but useless, but it's still a powerful items, and I'd prefer it to be kept safe. No place will be safer than the Sacred Realm."

Ganon gave her a suspicious look, which only made her shrug again; she couldn't _make_ him believe her after all.

"This is where it began," she said, seriousness taking place over the humor in her voice. "This is where it will, at last, end. It is time to return the Triforce to what it once was, and heal the world of the damage it has suffered. To that end, I ask that you return the pieces of the Triforce to me."

Zelda was the first to step forward, a smile on her face, and offer Raiha her hand. Raiha smiled softly back, accepting the offered piece and quickly clamping down on the reaction that tended to come with accepting Wisdom; too much knowledge was almost as bad as too much power, and it wasn't necessary in the moment. After a minute, the piece went quiescent and Raiha turned her attention to her boys.

Ganon still looked hesitant, so after a moment she glanced at Link. He nodded a little, as if to himself, and stepped forward, offering her his hand. Raiha clasped it gently, and was pleased with the way Courage slipped in without a fuss; perhaps it was from his trust, or even the budding love. For whatever the reason, it was comforting to feel.

She looked to Ganon, who was staring down at his hand thoughtfully. Then, slowly, he met her gaze, and eve more slowly gave her his hand. There was an almost audible click as Power joined with its siblings.

Once again, there was light; perhaps not as showy as the first time, but it washed over them, through the clearing, and through the woods beyond. When it died enough they could see, changes had once more swept over them. Mostly, they seemed to be cosmetic, changing clothing to a more grandiose sort; the chain mail the males wore shimmered as though it was new forged and their tunics had become heavily embroidered in gold threads. The materials were of a finer make, and the boots were polished to an almost-new shine while still retaining the supple nature of worn in clothing.

Zelda's gown had also gained new levels of embroidery, and there were delicate new embellishments on her circlet.

Once again, the most drastic changes where Raiha's. This time, she was less than pleased; her sensible tunic had been whisked away in favor of a gown similar to the princess's, that shimmered with color as she moved. Her hair had been undone by the magic, flowing in red-gold waves to her knees, confined only by the Sages Stone circle that had not changed. Around her waist was a chain belt that tied together the six Sage's Medallions. From the way they shimmered, Ganon knew them to be the real thing. What was interested was that each of them seemed to be missing a piece in the center... a very uniform circular piece. He found himself wondering what she'd used them for.

"...I think I preferred the armor," she grumbled, frowning down at herself. "I suppose I shouldn't be surprised at the ostentatious nature. Ah well. Link?"

He jumped a little to be addresses, flushing somewhat in a manner that made her smile.

"I need to go for a while, like I said. After I do, you need to return the sword to its rightful place. All right?"

Link nodded, making her smile again. She could only hope, very quietly in a corner of her mind, that she would return to them.

"Fare well, my friends."

With those words, she simply vanished. There was no theatrical blaze of light, not changed to the feeling of magic in the air; she was simply gone.

Ganon felt his heart constrict a little, remembering the words she'd said to him only a week before; if she returned he would get a kiss. _If_ she returned...

Link turned away after a moment, and went to return the sword as she had said. It felt good to put it back where it belonged, and once he stepped out of the space where the pedestal was, the stone door rumbled shut with a finality that was almost... frightening. Unnerved, and now a little worried, he looked to Ganon, but found nothing reassuring his the taller man's gold eyes.

"...she will come back," he asked tentatively. "Won't she?"

"She'll try," Zelda said quietly, hands folded lightly over one another. "But we cannot know what the three golden goddesses will ask of her."

His heart jumped up into his chest as Ganon scowled. Zelda's expression, when Link looked to her, was downcast, but resigned as well.

"We can only keep faith that one day, we will see her again."


	17. Epilogue: Round Robin Tale

Epilogue:

Round Robin tale

-Raiha-

I admit, it took me longer than I thought to get back to them. Five years, give or take a month. If I thought the hugs were tight the first time, Nayru bless, they were ten times worse the second.

=She's never told anyone about what happened with the goddesses. It's annoying. Or the wish.=

It's called a secret, Ganon. In this case, I'm obliged to keep it, no matter how much you _whine_. And the wish itself is none of your business either; I made it for all of Hyrule, not just for the people I know.

+It felt like it was a lot longer than five years..+

=True enough. At least there was a lot of work to do in that time.=

I noticed. It was impressive the way most of the town was rebuilt and people were already living there again. I almost got run over by a fruit cart too.

=Hah!=

That's what I get for coming in on foot, I know, I know.

+You could have sent a message.+

I only knew it had been a long time. You could have chosen to move on without me, and find new people to love. And I wanted to see how Hyrule was doing in the aftermath. I was quite happy to see it, you know.

=I have to ask, what was the point to cutting your hair anyways?=

Immortal hair was perfect. Mortal hair, not so much. Shorter hair is easier to care for, now would you just drop it? It's been five years!

=Hmph.=

+...you two are ridiculous.+

Yup! That's pretty much it for the story too. Atleast, for my part. I left, I returned, we reunited...

=I went away for three years...=

Yes, but you came back before I did.

+You were also good about sending messages+

...you're never letting me live that down, are you?

-Ganon-

It's not really part of the story either. I just needed to figure out what I was going to do with myself. I had no people to lead to glory, no kingdom to call my own, and admittedly no land that I really _wanted_ to rule.

(I told you that was going to happen.)

Yeah yeah. It wasn't real until you weren't there any more. I mean, I stuck around for a year helping to rebuild, but eventually I couldn't take it. The kid was busy with training guardsmen on sword techniques, and the princess had work of her own, so I dropped a note and left for a while. And everyone once in a while when I figured something out, I'd send a letter to Link so he didn't think I was dead.

+I almost did a couple of times anyways. Six months between letters is hardly reassuring.+

(_Now_ who's bickering?)

Oh shut up you. Part of it is _your_ fault.

(You would have figured it out anyways, even if I hadn't pointed the truth out to you. You can be unbelieveably dense when you want to be, but you're not a total loss.)

_Thaaaanks_.

(You're welcome.)

Hmph...

(Oh quit whining. You've got a place and a good position now, being Master of the Guard and all that.)

Only because Link turned it down.

+She made me Queen's Champion instead, remember?+

-Link-

After Ganon left, the princess asked me if I wanted the position for a while. I'd become a guard trainer instead of trainee, but being Master is more paperwork than training sometimes, and... and after the adventure, it was kind of dull.

I mean, I was glad it was peaceful again, but...

(But you're not really the type suited to lead the guards. You didn't have the training then, though your skill was definitely undeniable.)

Only because you trained me, Raiha.

(Flatterer.)

=I have to say, he would've made a good guard _trainer_ more than anything else. You're too pure sometimes.=

Thanks?

(Pfffft. He has a point. Master of the Guard is as much politics as skill, and wasn't it the politics that were making you unhappy in the first place?)

….yeah. And I do get to train the guards! Being Princess Zelda's champion really isn't a busy job, and in small groups, I don't do so bad.

(Especially with the new recruits. You're very gentle and patient. It's cute.)

R-Raiha!

=You are way to easy to make blush.=

(Heheheheh~)

-Raiha-

And really, that's the end of the story. We've each got a job we do well in now; Link is Zelda's Champion, Ganon is Master of the Guard, and I'm the Royal Sage, pretty much. There's no conflict with the Gorons or the Zora, the people are thriving, and Hyrule's magic is waking back up. Soon, I'll have students myself, and then things will get _really_ interesting.

=Or terrifying.=

Ha ha, very funny.

=You know you love me.=

Yes, but there are the days where I want to throw you in the lake still.

=I can swim now.=

I could still _think_ about it.

+No thinking about killing, please. Not with you in your condition.+

….fusspot.

=Welp, now that this is done, I say we get some stew. I've got a couple of recruits to scare in the morning too.=

+Don't scare them too much, It wasn't meant to be harmful+

=Well it wasn't exactly _harmless_ either.=

We'll figure out a good punishment, don't worry.

+I'm worried.+

Ha!

=Your faith in me is astounding.=


End file.
